Australia's national performance squad named for India tour

Cricket Australia on Monday announced a 14-member national performance squad which will train under former Test cricketer Glenn McGrath in India. 

The squad, which will have a pre-tour camp at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane next week, will spend two and a half weeks in Chennai in India at the MRF Pace Foundation academy alongside McGrath.

 These host of Australian cricketers will play three one-day games and three T20 matches against MRF Academy teams between August 10 and 28. Former Test opener Chris Rogers will be the head coach for the tour.

Big Bash League (BBL) batting guns Ben McDermott (Hobart Hurricanes) and Josh Philippe ( Sydney Sixers) and leg-spinners Lloyd Pope (SA) and Dan Fallins (New South Wales) and all-rounder Cameron Green (Western Australia) have all been named in the squad.

Besides this, Australian U-19 players namely Oliver Davies (NSW), Lachlan Hearne (NSW), Todd Murphy (Vic) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (Vic) have also received a call-up for India tour. 

Graham Manou, the Cricket Australia Pathways Manager who will also be serving as the tour manager, said that the India visit will serve the opportunities  for the players to improve their skills in what is traditionally a testing environment for touring teams.

CA Pathways Manager Graham Manou, who will be the tour manager, said the tour would provide further opportunities for the players to improve their skills in what is traditionally a testing environment for touring teams.

 “Australian Cricket has enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with the MRF Foundation for 26 years and we value the chance to take some of our young players to India to give them the chance to stretch themselves under match conditions,’’ the Cricket Australia quoted Manou as saying. 

 “The pace bowlers will also have the opportunity to interact with Glenn who has a wealth of knowledge about bowling and can certainly assist them to expand their skills. The squad has a nice blend of youth and some more experienced members, so the coaching staff of Chris Rogers and Craig Howard will have plenty of options to work with,” he added.

The full squad is as follows: 

Tom Andrews (SA), Oliver Davies (NSW), Dan Fallins (NSW), Jake Fraser-McGurk (Vic), Cameron Green (WA), Ryan Hadley (NSW), Aaron Hardie (WA), Lachlan Hearne (NSW), Josh Inglis (WA), Ben McDermott (Tas), Jonathon Merlo (Vic), Todd Murphy (Vic), Josh Philippe (WA), Lloyd Pope (SA).