ALLROUNDERS Mitch Marsh and Glenn Maxwell have been named to make their international returns in an ODI series in India next month that will give Australia an early look at conditions for their World Cup campaign later this year.

Paceman Jhye Richardson will also make a long-awaited international return, while David Warner, Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins – who all this week returned to Australia from the Test tour – have also been named.

Cummins returned home this week due to what a Cricket Australia spokesperson termed a serious family illness, but is targeting a return ahead of the third Test next week.

Marsh (ankle) and Maxwell (broken leg) have both missed significant time after undergoing surgery during the home summer but are set to feature in the three-match tour with matches in Mumbai, Vizag and Chennai following the ongoing Test campaign

Both Maxwell, who has been back playing in the Sheffield Shield this week for Victoria, and Marsh, who is expected to make his return in the Marsh One-Day Cup this weekend for Western Australia, will be important cogs for the 50-over World Cup being held in India in October-November this year.

It is one of two bilateral one-day series Australia are set to play in India before the World Cup, with the other in September just prior to the tournament.

Richardson is also back in the mix after an injury-enforced lay-off from international cricket that also saw him miss the closing stages of the KFC BBL with a hamstring injury and has not played since the start of January.

The 26-year-old has also not played for Australia since the white-ball leg of their tour of Sri Lanka last year. A career of huge promise, which has already seen him play 36 times for Australia, has been consistently setback by injury.

Josh Hazlewood, who captained Australia in an ODI last summer, has been ruled out of the series due to the Achilles injury that has seen fly home early from the Test series.

“It would be great for Josh to be part of this series but we have taken a conservative view ahead of a very important winter in England of which he will be an integral part,” selection chief George Bailey said.

Cummins will lead the side in just his second series in charge after having the one-day job added to his Test duties last summer following Aaron Finch’s retirement.

Warner has been named despite also heading home from Delhi this week after being concussed and suffering a hairline fracture in his elbow during the second Test
Travis Head appears certain to re-join him at the top of the order having thrived as an opener during Australia’s most recent ODI series in November, admittedly against a fatigued England team that had just won the T20 World Cup.

Marsh was sidelined for three months after undergoing keyhole surgery on his left ankle to repair a long-standing injury, while Maxwell fractured his leg in a freak accident at a birthday party in November

The pair both also hold contracts in the Indian Premier League, which kicks off a week after the ODI series concludes.

Warner, Richardson, Adam Zampa, Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis are the other ODI squad members who will stay on for the IPL – with Hazlewood also holding a contract – but Cummins and Starc are skipping the lucrative tournament due to the busy schedule

“With the World Cup just over seven months away, these matches in India are an important step in our preparation,” said Bailey.

“Glenn, Mitchell and Jhye are all important players in what we think the squad might look like come October.”

Australia are set to ramp up the frequency of 50-over matches played over the coming months, at the expense of T20 Internationals, due to forthcoming World Cup.
It is the final part of a host of major events in 2023 for the Aussie men, coming on the back of the India Test tour, the Ashes and potentially a World Test Championship final.

Qantas Tour of India 2023 – ODIs
March 17: First ODI, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, 7pm AEDT (D/N)
March 19: Second ODI, Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy Stadium, Vizag, 7pm AEDT (D/N)
March 22: Third ODI, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, 7pm AEDT (D/N)
Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa. (Cricket.com.au)