Marcus Stoinis ruled out of SL ODIs; Travis Head and Matthew Kuhnemann called up as replacements from Australia A squad
Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis will play no role in the remainder of the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka after being ruled out due to a side strain. Left-handed batter Travis Head and uncapped 25-year-old Matthew Kuhnemann have been called up as replacements.
Kuhnemann's maiden call-up comes on the back of an injury to Ashton Agar. The left-arm spinner is also struggling with an injury issue which has cast doubts over his participation in the remaining matches.
Head and Kuhnemann were representing Australia A in a four-day game against Sri Lanka A in Hambantota. The duo will join the senior squad ahead of the second ODI in Pallekele.
Things keep getting worse on the injury front for Australia!
#SLvAUS | @LouisDBCameron
Queensland wicket-keeper batter Jimmy Pierson and spinner Tanveer Sangha will play for Australia A in the final two days of the contest.
Travis Head is currently in good touch with the bat, as evident by his exploits in the ODI series against Pakistan. Promoted to the top of the order in the absence of David Warner, the 28-year-old scored 190 runs in three matches, which included his second ODI hundred.
Should Ashton Agar's injury force him out of the Test series as well, then uncapped left-arm spinner Kuhnemann is likely to be added to the squad. The subcontinent pitches on offer might probe Pat Cummins into fielding a third spinner in the Tests alongside Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Swepson.
It is to be noted that the ongoing five-match series is not part of the ODI Super League. Australia capped off the first leg of the all-format tour with a 2-1 win in the T20I series last week.
Upon the culmination of the white-ball phase, the teams will face each other in two Tests as part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
Australia's injury crisis mounts ahead of the Test series
The Pat Cummins-led side sit atop the World Test Championship (WTC) standings midway through the cycle. Their chances for a maiden appearance in the final rests heavily on the Test series against Sri Lanka.
High on confidence after a resilient 1-0 series win in Pakistan, the visitors are desperate to thrive in foreign conditions.
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Australia injury timeline in Sri Lanka:
Jun 4 - Abbott breaks a finger
Jun 7 - Starc slices his finger on a bowling spike
Jun 8 - MMarsh pings a calf
Jun 11 - KRichardson does a hamstring
Jun 14 - Agar does his side
Jun 14 - Stoinis does his side
Earlier in the tour, Mitchell Starc was the first injury casualty following a cut finger. All-rounder Sean Abbott suffered a broken finger as well.
The injury crisis deepened when the in-form Mitchell Marsh suffered a calf injury while Kane Richardson was also ruled out following a hamstring problem.
While Australia have Cameron Green in the squad as a backup seam bowling all-rounder option, he is currently not being viewed as a bowling option. The management wishes to reserve the 23-year-old for the Tests in Galle.