SYDNEY: Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc was ruled out as Australia confirmed their upcoming two-Test tour of Bangladesh yesterday, two years after their last visit was cancelled over security fears.
Starc, who suffered a foot injury in March, was omitted from the 13-man squad to rest for September’s one-day series in India and the home Ashes series against England later in the year.
The team was also announced despite a long-running revenue-sharing dispute between Cricket Australia and the players’ union ahead of the expiry of their current deal on June 30.
The original tour in 2015 was cancelled after a spate of attacks by Islamist extremists in the Muslim-majority nation.
But Cricket Australia executive general manager Pat Howard said Australia has received security assurances from Bangladesh’s cricket board and government.
“We will continue to work with them to finalise plans but also monitor advice from government agencies and our own security advisors about the security risk,” Howard said in a statement.
Australia - Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Wade.