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Travis Head exits Australia squad; leaves India T20Is midway for Ashes preparations

Debashis Sarangi

Travis Head won't play last 2 T20Is vs IND [Source: AFP]Travis Head won't play last 2 T20Is vs IND [Source: AFP]

In a significant development, Travis Head has been released from Australia's T20I squad against India to prepare for the upcoming Ashes series. Hence, Head won't participate in the final two T20Is and play South Australia's Sheffield Shield encounter against Tasmania, confirmed cricket.com.au. 

Travis Head not to feature in final two T20Is vs India

Swashbuckling batter Travis Head has been an integral member of the Australian side across all three formats. Apart from opening the batting in limited-overs cricket, Head bats at the crucial number five position for Australia in Tests. 

Although Travis Head is a regular member of Australia's T20I setup, the batter was given a free hand to choose between the remaining India T20Is and the Sheffield Shield game. With the England series approaching, Head apparently had no second thoughts to skip the remainder of the T20Is and fine-tune his red-ball game through a crucial pre-Ashes preparatory summit against Tasmania. 

The 31-year-old didn't have a memorable time with the bat throughout the India series. After scoring just 65 runs across three innings in the ODI leg, Head managed only 34 runs at an average of 17 in the T20I series before leaving. It's expected that either Matthew Short or Josh Philippe will replace him as Mitchell Marsh's opening partner in the remaining games. 

Hazlewood, Abbott to turn up for NSW in Sheffield Shield

Apart from Travis Head, ace speedsters Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott have also left the India T20Is midway to feature in New South Wales' high-voltage Sheffield Shield contest against Victoria at SCG. 

It's worth mentioning that Hazlewood was anyway picked for the first two T20Is, while Abbott was associated with the limited-overs squad until the third T20I at Bellerive Oval. Abbott's departure paves the way for the comeback of Ben Dwarshuis, who could lead the Australian bowling attack with Nathan Ellis from the fourth T20I onwards. 

Tanveer Sangha has also been released from the Australian team to represent New South Wales in the One-Day Cup; however, the leg-spinner will rejoin the national setup before the fourth T20I of the series in Gold Coast.