Australia rope in three uncapped pacers for Proteas ODI series

Captain Steve Smith returns to the helm after cutting short his tour of Sri Lanka at the behest of selectors who maintained he needed a rest.

South Australia’s 25-year-old fast bowler Daniel Worrall, who earned a surprise call-up to the Australian national side for the upcoming five-match ODI series against South Africa, admitted that he is still getting to grips with the news but vowed to put in his best performance if and when he gets the opportunity to lock horns with the likes of AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla.

Joe Mennie, Chris Tremain and Daniel Worrall were named in Australia’s squad for the tour of South Africa.

Starc’s absence means Australia will be without the three pace bowlers who led the visitors to a 2-1 series victory on their last tour of South Africa in 2011.

Young quicks Jason Behrendorff (back), Joel Paris (shin) and Sean Abbott (ankle) are also at varying stages of their own recovery from injury.

Australia selector Rod Marsh said Tremain, Mennie and Worrall “all had terrific summers past year and have also impressed us during the recent Australia A series with consistent performances”. Mennie is the most successful with 24 wickets at an average of 41.54, followed by Tremain (15 wickets at 24.40) and Worrall (14 wickets at 34.57).

Australia squad for tour of South Africa: Steve Smith (capt), David Warner (vice-capt), George Bailey, Scott Boland, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Joe Mennie, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa.

Tremain, 25, has played just nine List-A games, of which five have come in the last three weeks for Australia A in the Quadrangular one-day tournament, which ended in victory for India A on Sunday.

Opener Aaron Finch also injured a finger while fielding during the final ODI and will miss the two remaining T20 games, but will stay with the squad to assist with 12th man duties.

Australia’s David Warner celebrates scoring a hundred against Sri Lanka during their fifth one day global cricket match in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016. Batsman Usman Khawaja has been overlooked.

Allrounder Moises Henriques and off-spinner Nathan Lyon are the other players to be omitted from the squad that tasted 50-over success in Sri Lanka.