Australia ODI squad set for 2027 World Cup hosts as Labuschagne misses out

The Australia ODI squad for Zimbabwe and South Africa is out, and Marnus Labuschagne is not in it. Seventeen players were named on Monday for six matches across the two countries. Mitch Marsh captains. Travis Head returns. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have been picked for the South Africa leg only. The tour opens in Harare on 15 September.

Both host countries stage the 2027 World Cup. Selection chief George Bailey made that link himself. "This six-game series is an important lead-in to next year's World Cup, being played in the same countries, for the group," he said in comments carried by the ICC. Six matches, on the grounds Australia return to in a little over a year.

The 17 named

Marsh and Head both missed the recent ODIs in Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to the ICC. Both come straight back in. Alex Carey and Josh Inglis give the squad two wicketkeeping options. Cameron Green, Cooper Connolly and Matthew Renshaw cover the middle order. Adam Zampa is the only frontline spinner picked.

• Mitchell Marsh (captain)
• Xavier Bartlett
• Alex Carey
• Cooper Connolly
• Pat Cummins (South Africa only)
• Joel Davies
• Nathan Ellis
• Cameron Green
• Josh Hazlewood
• Travis Head
• Josh Inglis
• Spencer Johnson
• Oliver Peake
• Matthew Renshaw
• Billy Stanlake
• Mitchell Starc (South Africa only)
• Adam Zampa

Labuschagne loses his place

The ICC reported that Labuschagne was left out after inconsistent performances. Joel Davies and Oliver Peake keep their places. The ICC described both as young players who did enough in Pakistan and Bangladesh to stay in the group. Renshaw is retained as well.

That leaves the top order running through Head, Marsh, Green and Inglis, with Carey a fifth senior option. Bartlett, Ellis, Hazlewood, Johnson and Stanlake make up the seam group for Zimbabwe. Cummins and Starc join later.

Cummins and Starc on a split schedule

Cummins and Starc are named for the South Africa matches only. A Test series in South Africa follows in October. Both are central to that attack. The ICC linked their partial availability directly to the Tests ahead.

Hazlewood travels for the whole tour. He is the senior quick in Harare. Green offers seam overs on top of his batting, and Ellis and Bartlett have carried the new ball in Australia's recent white-ball cricket.

The September itinerary

Three ODIs in Harare open the tour. Three more follow in South Africa, and the ICC lists Durban, Johannesburg and Potchefstroom as the venues. Six matches in sixteen days.

• 15 September, first ODI, Harare
• 18 September, second ODI, Harare
• 20 September, third ODI, Harare
• 24 September, fourth ODI, Durban
• 27 September, fifth ODI, Johannesburg
• 30 September, sixth ODI, Potchefstroom

Marsh leads in both countries. The first ball is bowled in Harare on 15 September.