Marsh back to lead Australia in WI T20s

SYDNEY: Mitchell Marsh will captain Australia on his return to the Twenty20 squad named Wednesday for a five-match series in the West Indies, while explosive batsman Mitchell Owen earned a first call-up.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is back, having been rested for Australia´s last T20 series against Pakistan in November, and left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann makes the squad for the first time.

Marsh missed the Pakistan series and has recovered from a lower back injury that kept him out of the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Australia´s Test and 50-over captain Pat Cummins, Travis Head and Mitchell Starc were left out of the 16-man squad for the series next month.

They will return to Australia following three Tests against the West Indies beginning on June 25. Young batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk was dropped, but there was a maiden call-up for the 23-year-old Owen after a Big Bash League season where he was the highest run scorer and made a memorable 108 off 42 balls in the final.

Australia have won 12 of their past 14 matches as they build towards next year´s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Chairman of selectors George Bailey said: “We have a busy T20 schedule coming up through this series, followed by three against South Africa and New Zealand and five matches against India at home as we continue to refine and build a squad we think will be the right fit for the World Cup on the subcontinent.”

All-rounder Marsh was in fine form during the Indian Premier League season, scoring 627 runs for Lucknow Super Giants, including a maiden century. Cameron Green and Cooper Connolly also return following injury.

Australia T20 squad:

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa.