Melbourne: Top order batters Sam Konstas, Campbell Kellaway and Kurtis Patterson have been named to face Bangladesh in a warm-up match ahead of next month’s two-Test series.
Selectors have named a 14-player Cricket Australia XI to face Bangladesh in a three-day red-ball fixture beginning on August 6, a week before the two-Test series opener at Darwin’s Marrara Stadium.
The tour match will be played at the adjacent Marrara Cricket Ground with both sides agreeing to a 13-a-side contest, meaning it won’t have first-class status.
Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe joined Konstas and Patterson as the players with senior international experience in the squad, while Kellaway and Corey Rocchiccioli are also out to impress.
Konstas was in the XI for Australia’s previous away series against West Indies last year before Jake Weatherald took his place at the top of the order for the Ashes. Kellaway, 23, also made one century and two fifties last year but had leaner overall returns averaging just 26.78 for the summer.
The pair opened together in two matches for Australia A in India last year sharing stands of 198 and 56 unbroken in the first unofficial Test against India A in Lucknow.
Patterson, meanwhile, who played two Tests in 2019, has roared back into the selection conversation with back-to-back Shield seasons of 743 and 619 runs, respectively, after spending a period out of the NSW side during the previous 2023-24 summer.
Rocchiccioli has been the leading spinning in Shield cricket over the past five seasons with 151 wickets at 29.16.
Emerging players Campbell Thompson and Indian-born allrounder Jerrssis Wadia are among those who will get a chance to impress, alongside Sheffield Shield-winning batter Teague Wyllie, who has switched states to Tasmania in a bid to reignite his career.
Former Australian coach Tim Nielsen will lead the CA XI with SA’s Steven Crook as his assistant.
Meanwhile, young gun Joel Davies will get a chance to bolster his subcontinent experience as part of a 13-day training camp at the MRF Academy in Chennai. He is set to be joined by Doug Warren and Aryan Sharma as selectors seek to build up their stocks behind Matt Kuhnemann, according to cricket.com.au.
Raf Macmillan, Lloyd Pope and Jack Sinfield are also part of the 12-player touring group that will be mentored by Australia A coach Tim Paine and Anthony Clark.
The group will integrate with local players in training and match opportunities, including a pair of two-day games scheduled for August 5-6 and 10-11 on extremely spin-friendly pitches.
Cricket Australia XI vs Bangladesh: Campbell Kellaway, Campbell Thompson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Hanno Jacobs, Jake Doran, Jerrssis Wadia, Josh Philippe, Kurtis Patterson, Sam Konstas, Teague Wyllie, Tom Menzies, Tom Rogers, Xavier Crone, Noah McFadyen
CA MRF Academy Development Squad: Aryan Sharma, Doug Warren, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Sinfield, Jason Sangha, Jayden Goodwin, Joel Davies, Lloyd Pope, Matt Gilkes, Rafael MacMillan, Riley Kingsell, Steven Hogan
(IANS)
