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Mitchell Owen, Morris, and Short ruled out of Australia’s T20I decider and ODI series vs South Africa; Hardie, Connolly, Kuhnemann called up.

Mitchell Owen, Lance Morris, and Matt Short have all been ruled out of Australia’s T20I decider and upcoming ODI series against South Africa.

After being struck on the helmet by Kagiso Rabada in Darwin, Mitchell Owen suffered a concussion. Although he initially passed an on-field assessment, he suffered delayed symptoms after being dismissed. Owen now faces a mandatory 12-day stand-down, which means he will miss the final T20I and the entire ODI series, including his first ODI appearance.

Lance Morris will also miss the ODI series due to back soreness. His participation in the Australia A tour of India is uncertain since his continuing back issues have forced him to return to Perth for further assessment.

All-rounder Matt Short has failed to recover from a side strain sustained in the West Indies and will miss the first two T20Is against South Africa. The injury continues Short’s frustrating injury streak, as he suffered a quad injury at the Champions Trophy earlier this year.

After leveling the T20I series with a 53-run win on Tuesday, South Africa will begin the ODI series on August 19 in Cairns, and the remaining two matches will be played in Mackay from August 22 to 24.

The absences have been covered by Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, and Matt Kuhnemann. Hardie was already part of the T20I squad as Short’s replacement. Kuhnemann, a left-arm spinner who has played four ODIs in 2022, will join Adam Zampa in forming a twin spin attack. As a left-handed batter and spinner, Connolly played against India in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy.

Josh Inglis missed the second T20I due to flu-like symptoms, with Alex Carey replacing him for his first T20I 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

( With ESPNcricinfo Inputs )