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The 32-year-old Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from the Australian ODI squad for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe and South Africa later this month.

The top-order batter had been part of the Australian side since 2022 and was part of the team that won the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

Labuschagne has been struggling with batting woes across formats but retained his spot in the test squad despite a disappointing batting performance against Bangladesh.

However, the Australia selectors have decided to exclude Marnus Labuschagne from the limited-overs squad. Meanwhile, regulars like Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Josh Hazlewood return to the squad after missing the recent assignment in Bangladesh.

The pace attack has been bolstered with the inclusion of Spencer Johnson and Billy Stanlake. The left-arm pacer played his last five ODIs in early 2025 and returned to the T20I side in Bangladesh after a long injury layoff.

On the other hand, Stanlake was part of the ODI squad that played against Pakistan and made his international appearance in more than seven years when he played in Rawalpindi, although he went wicketless in his only appearance of the series.

Mitchell Marsh will be leading the side while Cummins will be playing, only available for the South Africa tour.

“This six-game series is an important lead-in to next year’s World Cup, being played in the same countries, for the group,” said chief selector Bailey.

“As such, it’s great to have Mitch (Marsh), Travis and Josh returning, then Pat and Mitch (Starc) for the (South Africa) leg. This gives us our core of players mixed with some we think will continue to make an impression.”

“For Ollie and Joel, who we rate very highly, it’s another fantastic opportunity and a further chance for them to continue their exposure and growth in the Australian team.”

With Australia A squads set to tour India at the same time, selectors have given some potential players red-ball opportunities in India with an eye on the year’s test series.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Cooper Connolly is bowling again after a back injury and was one player floated as a candidate for the four-day games against India A, but will be featuring throughout the ODIs, having struck a magnificent 149 against Bangladesh in Mirpur.

“It’s always a tricky one,” Bailey said. “I think (we) touched on this in the past: the opportunity versus not wanting to take away the opportunity of playing those A-games versus not wanting to take away the opportunity to play international cricket.”

“I think the three obvious ones in that boat … Cooper, Ollie and then Joel Davies as well, I’d throw into that boat. We discussed even after the South African one-dayers whether there was value in them heading across and continuing to play a bit more white-ball cricket in those one-day games (in India).”

“But I think where we land on that, all three of them have had some really good subcontinent exposure of late and have had multiple entries there,” concluded Bailey.

The Zimbabwe ODIs begin on September 15, and the second and third matches will be played in 18 and 20th in Harare. The South Africa series will be held on September 24, 27 and 30 in Durban.

Australia Squad for Zimbabwe and South Africa ODIs: Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins (SA only), Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc (SA only), Adam Zampa