Australia is facing another blow to their pace attack during the UK tour, as Xavier Bartlett sustained a side strain in the first T20I against England in Southampton. Bartlett’s injury occurred after an impressive performance, where he overcame a no-ball to dismiss Jordan Cox in the powerplay. However, he was forced to leave the field before completing his final two deliveries, signaling a potential end to his tour.
This latest setback adds to Australia’s pace woes, with Spencer Johnson already sidelined with a side injury and Nathan Ellis out due to a hamstring strain. Riley Meredith, originally called up for the Scotland series after Josh Hazlewood’s calf injury, was retained for the England T20 matches following Ellis’ injury. Bartlett’s injury now opens the door for Meredith to come into the side for the second T20I in Cardiff on Friday.
Australia’s selectors have yet to confirm who will join the ODI squad in Ellis’ absence. Left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis, currently in the UK as cover, may step in, though he has not officially been added to the squad. Dwarshuis is uncapped in ODIs but has played three T20Is for Australia.
Despite Bartlett’s recent success with consecutive four-wicket hauls against the West Indies, he was not initially part of the ODI leg of the tour. The side strain is likely to affect his availability for Queensland’s domestic season, which begins later this month with the Marsh Cup, followed by the Sheffield Shield in early October.
On a positive note, Josh Hazlewood made a successful return in Southampton, taking 2 for 32 in his four overs, including the crucial wicket of Liam Livingstone. Both Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will feature in the upcoming ODI series, but Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, is missing the tour to focus on strength and conditioning ahead of the home season.
