Test stars headline Australia A squad

15 Apr 2019 Adam Burnett

Tim Paine and Travis Head named captains for A tour, which will provide cover for World Cup and prepare Test stars for the Ashes

Travis Head and Tim Paine will respectively lead an Australia A one-day and four-day squad for their tour of the UK in June and July.

The two 14-man squads will play tour matches during the ICC World Cup and in the build-up to the first Ashes Test on August 1, providing both the Cup squad with back-up options should injuries strike, while also allowing a host of Test regulars and hopefuls to acclimatise to English conditions ahead of the Ashes.

Australia A four-day squad: Tim Paine (c), Marcus Harris, Kurtis Patterson, Will Pucovski, Travis Head (vc), Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Mitch Marsh, Michael Neser, Jon Holland, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, Josh Hazlewood (vc), Chris Tremain

Australia A one-day squad: Travis Head (c), Matthew Wade, Will Pucovski, Peter Handscomb, Ashton Turner, Mitch Marsh (vc), D'Arcy Short, Kurtis Patterson, Ashton Agar, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood (vc), Kane Richardson, Sean Abbott

The Australia A one-day side will play five matches across 13 days from June 20, before the four-day squad play three matches, starting on July 7, July 13 and July 23. The last of those matches will be an Australia A v Australia contest, which looms as a critical selection showdown ahead of the Ashes opener less than a week later.

Throughout the five-week period and across the two formats, there will be no shortage of players given the opportunity to press their claims for national honours, with the likes of young Victorian Will Pucovski (four-day squad) and New South Wales quick Sean Abbott (one-day squad) among the notable names in today's announcement by Cricket Australia.

Despite missing out on the 20-man CA central contract list, Test incumbent Kurtis Patterson has been handed a chance to demonstrate his wares in the one-day arena, having been named in both squads, while Josh Hazlewood will use the tours to ready himself for the Ashes as he continues his recovery from a back injury.

Mitchell Marsh, who lost his CA contract today, is another to have been named in both squads, along with Head, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Pucovski and Michael Neser.

Big names miss out on World Cup squad

Head of the national selection panel Trevor Hohns also made the point that the group of players currently plying their trade in the County Championship were intentional omissions, likely as a means of broadening the selectors' pool of ready and available playing talent.

"We have Joe Burns, Cameron Bancroft, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Siddle and Daniel Worrall in our sights but they have not been included in the squad and will continue to play through this period with their County teams," Hohns said.

"However, we have made it clear that strong form with their county teams will be taken into account for selection in the Ashes squad or the Australia v Australia A tour match.

"Following the four-day tour match in Hampshire we will be in a position to announce our squad for the Ashes."

Australia A tour of the UK

One-day fixtures:

June 20: Australia A v Northamptonshire, The County Ground, Northamptonshire

June 23: Australia A v Derbyshire, County Ground, Derby

June 25: Australia A v Worcestershire, New Road, Worcester

June 30: Australia A v Gloucestershire, Bristol Country Ground, Bristol

July 2: Australia A v Gloucestershire, Bristol Country Ground, Bristol

Four-day fixtures:

July 7-10: Australia A v Sussex, Arundel Castle Cricket Ground, Arundel

July 13-16: Australia A v England Lions, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury

July 23-26: Australia v Australia A, Ageas Bowl, Hampshire