Mitchell Owen has been ruled out of the deciding T20I against South Africa and the upcoming ODI series after suffering a concussion when he was struck on the helmet by Kagiso Rabada in Darwin.
Owen passed an initial on-field assessment after being hit on the grille early in his innings but later reported delayed symptoms after being dismissed. He will now follow a mandatory stand-down period of at least 12 days, which ends his hopes of making his ODI debut.
Fast bowler Lance Morris and all-rounder Matt Short will also miss the ODI series starting next Tuesday. Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly and Matt Kuhnemann have been called up as replacements.
Morris experienced back soreness during training, a worrying sign given his history of back problems. He has returned to Perth for further assessment and may now be in doubt for the four-day leg of the Australia A tour of India.
Short is still recovering from the side strain he sustained in the West Indies. Initially ruled out of the first two T20Is against South Africa, he will now miss the entire series. This adds to a run of injury setbacks in his international career after a quad injury during the Champions Trophy earlier this year.
South Africa levelled the T20I series with a 53-run win on Tuesday, with the decider set for Saturday in Cairns. The same city will host the first ODI on August 19, followed by matches in Mackay on August 22 and 24.
Hardie had already been drafted into the T20I squad as cover for Short. Kuhnemann, who previously played four ODIs in 2022, could form a twin spin attack with Adam Zampa. Connolly, a left-handed batter and left-arm spinner, featured in Australia’s Champions Trophy squad earlier this year and played the semi-final against India.
Josh Inglis missed the second T20I due to flu-like symptoms, with Alex Carey stepping in for his first T20I appearance since 2021.
Updated Australia ODI squad:
Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Adam Zampa
