Owen, Morris, and Short won't play in the South Africa series

Owen, Morris, and Short won't play in the South Africa series

Australia batter Mitchell Owen has been ruled out of the deciding T20I against South Africa and the ODI series that follows due to a concussion. All-rounder Matt Short and Fast bowler Lance Morris will also miss the ODI series. Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, and Matt Kuhnemann replace the squad.

Mitchell Owen has been ruled out of the final T20I against South Africa and the upcoming ODI series after suffering a concussion. He was struck on the helmet by Kagiso Rabada in Darwin and, although he passed the initial on-field assessment, he later reported delayed symptoms. As per concussion protocols, Owen will now undergo a mandatory 12-day rest period, which means he’ll miss the chance to make his ODI debut.

Australia will also be without fast bowler Lance Morris and all-rounder Matt Short for the ODI series starting next Tuesday. Morris experienced back soreness while preparing for the matches a worrying sign given his history of back issues and has returned to Perth for further evaluation. His availability for the Australia A tour of India is now uncertain. Short, meanwhile, hasn’t recovered from a side strain he picked up in the West Indies. Initially ruled out of the first two T20Is, he’s now confirmed to miss the entire series. This adds to a string of injuries for Short, who also suffered a quad issue during the Champions Trophy earlier this year.

South Africa levelled the T20I series with a 53-run win on Tuesday. The decider will be played in Cairns on Saturday, followed by the ODI matches on August 19, 22, and 24 starting in Cairns and finishing in Mackay.

To fill the gaps in the squad, Australia has called up Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, and Matt Kuhnemann. Hardie was already part of the T20I squad as cover for Short. Kuhnemann, a left-arm spinner who played four ODIs in 2022, could partner with Adam Zampa to form a spin-heavy attack. Connolly, a left-handed batter and spinner, was part of Australia’s Champions Trophy squad earlier this year and featured in the semi-final against India.

Josh Inglis missed the second T20I due to flu-like symptoms, with Alex Carey stepping in to play his first T20I match since 2021.

Australia ODI squad

Mitchell Marsh (c), Alex Carey, Xavier Bartlett, Ben Dwarshuis, Cooper Connolly, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Matt Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa, Marnus Labuschagne