Travis Head Released from T20I Squad to Prepare for Ashes; Kuldeep Yadav Returns for India A Duties
New Delhi: Australia opener Travis Head will miss the final two T20Is against India after being released from the squad to represent South Australia in the upcoming Sheffield Shield round, beginning next Monday. The move is part of his preparation for the Ashes series against England.
Every member of Australia’s first Ashes Test squad is expected to feature in the next Shield round. Head will line up against Tasmania in Hobart, marking his first first-class appearance since the West Indies tour in July.
According to cricket.com.au, selectors allowed Head to decide whether to play in the Shield or continue in the T20I series. The 31-year-old chose to join Alex Carey for South Australia’s Shield fixture starting November 10.
Head becomes the third Australian player to prioritise red-ball preparation over T20 duties, following Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who will both feature for New South Wales against Victoria. Hazlewood left the T20I series after the second match in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, Adam Zampa, who is currently at home awaiting the birth of his second child, could train with the squad if logistics permit, and might feature in one of the final two T20Is in Queensland.
On the Indian side, Kuldeep Yadav has been released from the T20I squad in Australia to play for India A in a four-day match against South Africa A starting Thursday.
The BCCI stated that the decision aims to provide Kuldeep with crucial red-ball match practice ahead of the two-Test series against South Africa, beginning November 14 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, where he is expected to play a key role.
Kuldeep took 2 for 45 in India’s five-wicket defeat in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He was replaced by Washington Sundar for Sunday’s game at the Bellerive Oval, which India won by five wickets to level the series 1-1.
