Marsh to lead Aussie T20I squad in South Africa

Mitch Marsh will captain Australia's first T20 internationals since Aaron Finch's retirement, leading a squad with a strong Big Bash flavour on the tour of South Africa.

Western Australia's rising star allrounder Aaron Hardie, reigning KFC BBL player of the tournament Matt Short and breakout left-arm firebrand Spencer Johnson are all in line for an international debut during the three-match T20 series.

Five one-day internationals that serve as World Cup preparation follow – with a provisional 18-man squad for that tournament also named today – but the presence of a new generation of stars in the T20 side add an element of intrigue to that leg of the tour.

Just five incumbents – Marsh, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa – from Australia's most recent T20 XI, played last November, included in the 14-player squad.

Marsh has been named as skipper for the South Africa series only, with Cricket Australia yet to commit to a full-time replacement for Finch, who played his final T20 International last October.

The 31-year-old allrounder boasts captaincy experience with Perth Scorchers and Western Australia, though in recent times those duties have fallen to Ashton Turner, who was backed in some corners as a possible candidate for the position.

"Mitch has long been a senior player within the white-ball structure, with this an opportunity for him to add to his leadership skills at international level," said selection chair George Bailey. "We look forward to him taking that step in South Africa."

Marsh's selection comes off the back of a career revival in the T20 format, which coincided with his elevation to No.3 in the batting order in 2021. After being Australia's best performed batter on tours of West Indies and Bangladesh, he retained the key role for that year's World Cup and again delivered when it mattered, earning player-of-the-match honours in the final with a game-winning 77no from 50 balls.

The two opening spots meanwhile, are up for grabs, though Smith's stunning late-season BBL|12 cameo in that role with the Sydney Sixers has him well positioned to fill one of those places amid a glut of top-order talent.

Australia T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Short and Travis Head – who opened for the T20 side in Pakistan last year with Warner out injured – will also vie for top-order spots, as will Josh Inglis who is the sole gloveman in the squad, signalling that Australia has likely moved on from Matthew Wade.

But whether Inglis, who will not have played an official match in more than five months when the T20 series gets underway, will be asked to reinvent himself as a late-innings finisher in the manner of Wade, or instead push Marsh and other T20 regulars Maxwell, Stoinis and Tim David down a spot remains to be seen.

With Australia's leading quicks focusing on October-November's ODI World Cup, it offers the chance for bowlers who could be key for next year's T20 World Cup to gain some valuable experience.

Sean Abbott and Jason Behrendorff – who last played a T20 for Australia in the Caribbean in 2021 – are the most experienced bowlers in the squad with nine caps apiece to their name.

Renowned death-bowler Nathan Ellis has played five T20Is, while Johnson, who enjoyed a breakout season with the Brisbane Heat before earning an Australia A gig in March, is on a rapid upward trajectory, with Bailey noting the quick's "pace and bounce was highly effective in his first season for the Heat".

Zampa is the sole front-line spinner in the squad as Ashton Agar recovers from a calf injury, meaning other slow-bowling options will come from the likes of Maxwell, David and Short.

Short's off-spin proved a key part of the Strikers attack last summer as he took the first over in every game for 11 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of 7.13.

The 27-year-old Adelaide powerhouse used his outstanding BBL|12 form to springboard into runs in the domestic 50-over and first-class competitions before landing a maiden IPL gig with the Punjab Kings.

He has been a revelation since a move to the top of the order in BBL|11, backing up that summer's 493-run campaign with 458 last summer to be the tournament's leading run-scorer after the regular season.

His unbeaten 100 against the Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval will go down as one of the greatest Big Bash knocks, guiding the Strikers to the highest successful run chase in the competition history. 

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the squad is the maiden international call-up for Hardie, the 24-year-old hard-hitting, seam-bowling allrounder who is the latest off Western Australia's seemingly non-stop production line of all-round talent.

Having been overshadowed by Marsh, Stoinis and Cameron Green as WA allrounders, Hardie has gone from strength to strength, starring in all three formats at domestic level last summer.

He was one of only a trio of batters to pass 50 four times in last summer's BBL, crucially with two of those being unbeaten knocks in run chases, including a 62-ball 90no against Hobart, while Bailey was also impressed with his recent outings for Australia A, which most notably included a fine 115 from No.4 in a first-class fixture against New Zealand A in April.

Possible Starting XI: Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Tim David, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa

2023 Qantas Tour of South Africa

Australia T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

August 30: First T20I, Durban (August 31, 2am AEST)

September 1: Second T20I, Durban (September 2, 2am AEST)

September 3: Third T20I, Durban, September 3, 10pm AEST

Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

September 7: First ODI, Bloemfontein (D/N), 9pm AEST

September 9: Second ODI, Bloemfontein (D/N), 9pm AEST

September 12: Third ODI, Potchefstroom (D/N), 9pm AEST

September 15: Fourth ODI, Centurion (D/N), 9pm AEST

September 17: Fifth ODI, Johannesburg, 6pm AEST