The Australian cricket team has arrived in Dhaka ahead of their white-ball bilateral series against Bangladesh, which comprises three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Although the squad commenced training sessions yesterday, Cricket Australia (CA) has confirmed that they will be without the services of left-handed opening batsman Travis Head, ODI captain Mitchell Marsh, and leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha.
To compensate for these notable absences, the national selectors have drafted Matt Short, Ollie Peake, and off-spinner Todd Murphy into the touring party.
Key Absences and Squad Updates
| Player Affected | Original Role | Reason for Absence | Replacement Player |
| Travis Head | Opening Batsman | Personal leave following the IPL | Matt Short |
| Mitchell Marsh | ODI & T20I Captain | Recurrent ankle injury (Ruled out of ODIs only) | Ollie Peake |
| Tanveer Sangha | Leg-Spinner | Hamstring injury sustained in Pakistan | Todd Murphy |
| Pat Cummins | Regular ODI Captain | Rested from the entire tour | Josh Inglis (Interim Captain) |
Detailed Reasons for Withdrawal
Travis Head was originally scheduled to join the squad in Dhaka to afford him a brief period of recuperation following his commitments in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, he subsequently requested personal leave, which was granted by Cricket Australia. Commenting on Head’s absence and looking ahead to Bangladesh’s upcoming Test tour of Australia, national selector Tony Dodemaide stated:
“Travis was initially included in both the ODI and T20I squads for the Bangladesh series. However, he was later granted leave for personal reasons. We look forward to seeing him back in the squad for the home Test series against Bangladesh in August.”
Concurrently, Mitchell Marsh is continuing his rehabilitation from a persistent ankle injury that flared up during the IPL, an ailment that had already ruled him out of Australia’s preceding tour of Pakistan. Whilst initial medical assessments suggested Marsh would be fit to captain Australia across all six limited-overs fixtures in Bangladesh, Dodemaide confirmed that the all-rounder remains unavailable for the ODI leg of the tour:
“It will take a little more time for him to fully recover from the ankle injury. Mitchell will join the squad in Dhaka later to commence his preparations specifically for the T20I series.”
Furthermore, leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha was entirely ruled out of the tour after suffering a hamstring injury during the recent series in Pakistan.
Leadership Transition and New Call-Ups
The white-ball contingent began arriving in Dhaka last Tuesday, with the first group consisting of players who had traveled directly from Pakistan, followed by the remaining members arriving from Australia. Neither Head nor Marsh accompanied the initial groups.
With regular ODI skipper Pat Cummins intentionally rested for this tour, and Marsh unavailable for the 50-over matches, wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis will assume the role of interim captain for the ODI series. Inglis previously filled this leadership vacancy during the tour of Pakistan. Should Marsh fail to achieve full fitness in time for the shortest format, Inglis is slated to extend his captaincy duties into the T20I series.
Regarding squad additions, Matt Short and Ollie Peake were originally selected strictly for the ODI series against Pakistan, but their tenures have now been extended to cover the tour of Bangladesh. Additionally, Tanveer Sangha’s hamstring injury has opened the door for Todd Murphy, marking the off-spinner’s maiden call-up to Australia’s senior white-ball squad.
The three-match ODI series is scheduled to commence in Dhaka tomorrow, while the T20I series will shift to Chittagong, with the opening fixture slated for 17 June.
Official Australia Squads for the Tour
Australia ODI Squad:
Josh Inglis (Captain), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Ollie Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Liam Scott, Matt Short, and Adam Zampa.
Australia T20I Squad:
Mitchell Marsh (Captain), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, and Adam Zampa.