QLD TRIO IN AUST A SQUAD |
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The good news is that three Queenslanders have been selected in the Australia A squad to play England's rising stars in a five-match one-day series starting 16 February – the bad news is they will be unavailable for the top-of-the-table Bupa Sheffield Shield clash against Victoria at the same time. Ben Cutting, Joe Burns and Cameron Boyce will also be unavailable for the crucial one-dayer against the Vics on Saturday week. The timing of the 'A' series would appear to be exceedingly poor considering the large Australian squad will be overseas at the same time for the Test tour of India when the hotly-contested Shield competition is entering its final stages. Nonetheless, the absence of the topline XXXX GOLD Bulls trio will provide opportunities for others craving an opportunity. And Victoria will also be missing two of their stars in leading wicket-taker John Hastings and the bullish Aaron Finch, who will captain Australia A. Cutting has been robbed of valuable match practice with the XXXX GOLD Bulls this week after being made 13th man for the Australian one-day side through the first three games of the ODI series against the Windies but it is hoped will belatedly be given an opportunity tomorrow. Burns, named the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year earlier this week, toured England and impressed with Australia A last winter, while Boyce turned heads during the KFC T20 Big Bash League and was a wicket-taker in the Shield last season. “In selecting this 12-man squad for the series against the England Lions the NSP had the development of players for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup very much in mind,” said national selection panel chief John Inverarity. None of the Australia A v England Lions matches will be played in Queensland. The England team includes Alex Hales, who made a stunning century on debut for the Melbourne Renegades in the recent BBL|02, and Stuart Meaker, who played the XXXX GOLD Premier Grade season with University of Queensland last summer. The Australia A squad is: Aaron Finch (c) VIC Tim Paine (vc) TAS Cameron Boyce QLD Joe Burns QLD Nathan Coulter-Nile WA Ben Cutting QLD Callum Ferguson SA John Hastings VIC Josh Hazlewood NSW Shaun Marsh WA Kane Richardson SA Adam Voges WA |
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