Australia rest Cummins Starc Hazlewood for Pakistan Bangladesh tours

Australia rested Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood from white-ball tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The decision prioritizes T20 World Cup preparation over the bilateral ODIs and T20Is starting May 30. Mitchell Marsh takes captaincy for the nine matches across both series.

Young players Ollie Peake, Liam Scott and Joel Davies earn uncapped call-ups to fill the pace gaps. Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis missed T20 selections amid IPL workloads, per earlier reports. Selectors cite workload management as the key factor for senior absences.

Marsh led recent white-ball teams and now handles subcontinental challenges without the top pacers. Past tours used similar rests to test depth successfully. The tours provide opportunities for debutants in spin-friendly conditions before major events.