Major setback for Australia as key players ruled out of first ODI against England

Australia's preparations for the opening ODI against England in Nottingham have been thrown into disarray, with key players Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood ruled out due to illness. Reports from cricket.com.au suggest the trio is missing Thursday's match after falling sick following a strenuous training session on Tuesday.

The illness has also affected Australia captain Mitchell Marsh, who missed the second T20I of the previous series, leading to Travis Head stepping in as captain. Australia lost that match, and the third game was washed out due to rain.

With Starc and Hazlewood likely sidelined, fast bowlers Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis are taking charge of the pace attack. All-rounders Cameron Green and Aaron Hardie are also called upon to contribute with the ball. Meanwhile, Matt Short has replaced Glenn Maxwell in the starting XI.

The Australian squad is also dealing with injuries. Josh Inglis is suffering from quad soreness, leaving him unable to bat or keep, while Jake Fraser-McGurk is nursing a sore hamstring but participated in an extended batting session ahead of the match. Alex Carey is also back to the ODI squad after the World Cup.

Speaking ahead of the series, Marsh emphasized the importance of managing workloads during the busy schedule, aiming to field the best possible team while keeping players' health in check.

"We're still working through that but we'll have an XI on the park. He's certainly tracking towards being one of our greatest ever ODI players. I feel very lucky to have him in this team," Marsh said.

Marsh also took time to congratulate leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who is set to play his 100th ODI for Australia. He praised Zampa's ability to handle pressure and thrive in critical moments, calling him one of Australia's greatest ODI players in the making.

"There's no hiding behind the fact he's certainly one of our go-to men with the ball. One of the challenges he's taken in his stride in the last few years is being that person for us and he certainly thrives off the bigger moments, which all great players do," he said.

Australia XI: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wk), Matt Short, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Adam Zampa

England XI: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Harry Brook (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Matt Potts, Adil Rashid