Australia have drafted young all-rounder Cooper Connolly into their ICC Champions Trophy squad as a replacement for the injured Matthew Short, just ahead of their semi-final clash against India in Dubai on Tuesday.
Short sustained a calf injury while fielding during Australia’s rain-affected match against Afghanistan in Lahore. The injury visibly hampered him, particularly when he made a quickfire 20 at the top of the order before rain led to the game being abandoned.
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Australia captain Steve Smith had earlier hinted that Short’s recovery in time for the semi-final was unlikely.
“I think he’ll be struggling,” Smith said after the match. “We saw tonight he wasn’t moving very well, and I think it’s probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover.”
Connolly, a left-handed batter and left-arm spinner, has played six internationals for Australia, including three ODIs. The 20-year-old has shown promise in domestic cricket and now gets an opportunity on the big stage as Australia prepare for their high-stakes knockout clash against India.
Australia squad:
- Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Adam Zampa.
