Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood ruled out as Australia name squads for Pakistan, Bangladesh white-ball tour
Synopsis
Australia is banking on youth for its Pakistan and Bangladesh white-ball tour, resting its pace veterans to prepare for August's Bangladesh Tests. With IPL commitments creating a staggered arrival, and fresh faces like Peake and Scott earning debuts, this tour marks a deliberate reset in the squad build-up toward next year's Cricket World Cup.
Key Takeaways
Pat Cummins , Mitchell Starc , and Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the white-ball tour to prioritise red-ball preparation for August's Bangladesh Test series.
Mitchell Marsh named captain for all white-ball fixtures across Pakistan and Bangladesh .
Ollie Peake (U-19 World Cup captain) and uncapped all-rounder Liam Scott earn squad calls for the Pakistan leg.
Pace duo Riley Meredith and Billy Stanlake recalled for Pakistan ; Joel Davies named for Bangladesh T20Is.
IPL playoff players including Travis Head , Cooper Connolly , Xavier Bartlett , and Ben Dwarshuis to join squad in Bangladesh after 26–31 May IPL finals.
Pakistan ODIs begin 30 May in Rawalpindi ; Bangladesh leg starts 9 June in Dhaka .
Australia has named squads for its upcoming white-ball tour of Pakistan and Bangladesh, with experienced pace trio Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood all rested ahead of the two-Test series against Bangladesh in August. The tour begins with three ODIs in Pakistan from 30 May, followed by three ODIs and three T20Is in Bangladesh from 9 June.
Marsh to lead, fresh faces included
Mitchell Marsh will captain across all white-ball fixtures. The squad includes uncapped all-rounder Liam Scott and Ollie Peake, skipper of Australia's U-19 World Cup campaign. Pace duo Riley Meredith and Billy Stanlake earn recalls for the Pakistan leg, while young batter Joel Davies is named for the Bangladesh T20Is after Glenn Maxwell misses out on the shorter format.
IPL commitments dictate availability
The pace trio — Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc — are returning from injuries sustained during the Indian Premier League and will prioritise red-ball preparation for the August Test series. Players with teams likely to feature in the IPL playoffs will join the Bangladesh leg once their commitments conclude. Travis Head (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, and Ben Dwarshuis (Punjab Kings) will arrive in Bangladesh after the IPL finals, scheduled to run from 26–31 May.
Squad changes between legs
Matthew Short retains his spot for Pakistan but is excluded from the Bangladesh ODI squad, making way for Head, Connolly, Bartlett, and Dwarshuis. The T20I squad for Bangladesh features Joel Davies, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson, and Josh Philippe, reflecting a shift toward younger options in the shortest format.
Tour schedule
Pakistan ODIs: 30 May (Rawalpindi), 2 June (Lahore), 4 June (Lahore). Bangladesh ODIs: 9 June (Dhaka), 11 June (Dhaka), 14 June (Dhaka). Bangladesh T20Is: 17 June (Chattogram), 19 June (Chattogram), 21 June (Chattogram).
Point of View
Starc, and Hazlewood for Test prep is defensible, but the staggered IPL-driven availability creates awkward squad imbalances — Pakistan gets a weaker bowling attack, while Bangladesh benefits from a fuller pool. This is less about vision and more about calendar congestion. The deeper question: can Australia's youth brigade — Peake, Scott, Davies — convert opportunity into performance, or will this tour expose gaps in depth that a World Cup year cannot afford?
NationPress
28 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood not playing in the Pakistan and Bangladesh tour?
The three pace veterans are being rested to prioritise red-ball preparation ahead of Australia's two-Test series against Bangladesh in August. All three have recently returned from injuries sustained during the Indian Premier League and need to rebuild their Test fitness.
Who will captain Australia in the white-ball tour?
Mitchell Marsh will lead Australia across all white-ball fixtures — both the Pakistan ODIs and the Bangladesh ODIs and T20Is.
Which new players have been named in the squad?
Uncapped all-rounder Liam Scott and Ollie Peake (captain of Australia's U-19 World Cup campaign) are named for the Pakistan leg. Joel Davies earns a call-up for the Bangladesh T20Is, while pace duo Riley Meredith and Billy Stanlake are recalled for Pakistan.
When will IPL-committed players join the squad?
Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, and Ben Dwarshuis will join the Bangladesh leg after their IPL commitments conclude. The IPL finals are scheduled to run from 26–31 May, and these players will arrive in Bangladesh before the first ODI on 9 June.
When does the tour begin and where?
The tour begins with the first ODI against Pakistan on 30 May in Rawalpindi. Bangladesh ODIs start on 9 June in Dhaka, followed by T20Is from 17 June in Chattogram.
