Cricket Australia announced a 23 member preliminary squad for the limited-overs tour of West Indies in July which will comprise of five T20Is and three ODIs.
All eight matches will be played in St Lucia and Barbados. The announcement included players who recently flew out of the Maldives after participating in the now-suspended Indian Premier League after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) arranged a chartered flight for the stranded contingent of 38 members.
Stylish middle-order batsman Marnus Labuschagne hasn’t been included in the squad due to the constraints of travelling from the UK and following the quarantine protocols. Labuschange is currently plying his trade for Glamorgan in the County Championship
"This preliminary list gives selectors a solid base from which to choose a final touring party in the coming weeks while allowing players to prepare," Trevor Hohns, the national selector, said in an official Cricket Australia release. He also lamented the fact at Labuschagne missing out on the tour. Hohns added that all possible options were explored but in the end, it was best for Labuschagne to remain in England owing to the travel restrictions.
"The Australian men's T20 squad has the ability to match it with any team in the world and the competition for places will be fierce, which is exactly what we are looking for," Hohns said in the statement.
"The West Indies men's team has won two of the six ICC T20 World Cups played, including the most recent tournament in India and 2016, and this series will provide us with excellent preparation ahead of the 2021 edition in October and November," he spoke about the competition.
Four frontline spinners were included in the squad given the fact that the T20 World Cup will be played in either India or UAE where the pitches will be conducive for spinners. Barring established spinners Azam Zampa and Ashton Agar, Mitchell Swepson and youngster Jason Sangha was also included in the squad.
"Mitch Swepson has been in exceptional form across all three forms of the game. His Big Bash performances with the Heat have been superb, as was his bowling for Queensland," Hohns said.
"Tanveer Sanga was extremely impressive for the Thunder and we regard him very highly. While he didn't play in New Zealand it was a great opportunity for a young bowler to be around the group. Along with the class of Adam and Ashton, we are very fortunate to have four highly capable spinners on this list,” Hohns further added.
Preliminary squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Kane Richardson, Jhye Richardson, Tanveer Sangha, D'Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.