Australia have named a full-strength squad for their first overseas Test tour in almost three years, with Ashton Agar the only addition from the extended group of players that won the Ashes.
Mitch Marsh, Josh Inglis and Mitchell Swepson have all been named in an 18-man squad for the historic three-Test tour of Pakistan, Australia’s first visit to the cricket-mad nation in nearly 25 years.
While squads for the limited-overs matches that will follow the Tests are yet to be named, the fact no Test players have pulled out is a vote of confidence for a tour that was only given the green light to proceed following a Cricket Australia Board meeting last week.
Thorough security assessments were conducted by officials for the first trip by an Australian team to Pakistan since the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, Australian cricket board said in a statement.
“Clearly there is some anxiety about touring which I think is perfectly natural given an Australian team hasn’t toured Pakistan for almost 25 years,” Australian Cricketers’ Association chief Todd Greenberg told SEN on Monday.
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/australia-confirm-historic-cricket-tour-to-pakistan-in-march/
