Australia adds teen fast bowler Mahli Beardman to ODI squad for England series

Australia has added 19-year-old fast bowler Mahli Beardman to their ODI squad for the upcoming five-match series against England, which begins on Thursday at Trent Bridge. Beardman, a tall 6ft 2in seamer from Western Australia, made a name for himself in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year. He played a key role in Australia’s victory over India in the final, taking impressive figures of 3 for 15 and earning the Player-of-the-Match award.

Despite having just one List A match under his belt, Beardman’s potential has been recognized by selectors. In August, he was signed by the Perth Scorchers for the Big Bash League and is seen as one of Australia’s promising young fast bowlers, alongside Callum Vidler, Charlie Anderson, and Tom Straker.

Beardman’s inclusion comes as Australia faces several fast-bowling injuries. Xavier Bartlett picked up a side strain during the first T20I against England, and Nathan Ellis was forced to withdraw from the tour after aggravating a previous injury from The Hundred. Spencer Johnson and Riley Meredith were also ruled out earlier due to side injuries.

Josh Hazlewood, who had a minor calf strain, managed to play a key role in Australia’s win in the first T20I but was rested for the second game as a precaution. With a home Test series against India coming up later this year, Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald has emphasized the importance of managing the workload of Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc.

"A lot of our priorities will be geared around that. You'll see that unfold with the management of our players. We'll be very pointed around who does what in terms of [Sheffield] Shield cricket coming into the summer to make sure that they are ready for that first Test match," Andrew said.

In addition to Beardman, Australia’s squad has been strengthened by the return of key players like Starc, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Glenn Maxwell. Ben Dwarshuis has also been added to the squad as cover for the rest of the tour.

The ODI series marks a key moment for Beardman and other young talents like Cooper Connolly, who has been part of the squad since the T20I series. 

Australia ODI squad vs England:

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis (wk), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa | Traveling reserve: Mahli Beardman