Australia’s squad for the Test series against the West Indies has dropped three players from last summer’s victorious Ashes group.
Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson and Mitchell Swepson have all missed out on the 13-man squad announced by Cricket Australia on Tuesday.
Victoria’s Scott Boland has been retained along with the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Meanwhile, opener Marcus Harris has been recalled to the Test squad after being dropped during the Ashes series last summer and ignored for the tour of Sri Lanka.
He is second on the Sheffield Shield run chart this season, having scored 287 runs in three matches at an average of 57.40, compared to 727 runs at an average of 45.3 for Gloucestershire earlier this year.
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Cricket Australia chief selector George Bailey said the left-hander is back in the frame after a strong start to the domestic season and playing in the County Championship. Travis Head has retained his place despite tours to Pakistan and Sri Lanka and struggling domestically since the end of the Ashes.
He has scored just 291 runs under the age of 20 in 17 first-class innings since the Hobart Test. Head has also been selected in Australia’s ODI squad as a possible replacement for retired Aaron Finch.
Apart from Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, David Warner, Cameron Green and Alex Carey, Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood are in both teams. Along with Warner, Usman Khawaja is set to retain his place as Test opener. The first Test against the West Indies starts in Perth on November 30.
Australia squad for Test series against West Indies: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith (VC), Mitchell Starc, David Warner
Australia squad for ODI series against England:
Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa