BRISBANE: Australia selectors have recalled Stephen O’Keefe as a second spinning option and given paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile a chance to push for his test debut in a 15-man squad for the three-match series in Sri Lanka.
Cricket Australia announced the squad Tuesday, with Mitchell Starc expected to return to the test format following ankle surgery to lead a pace attack also containing Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird. Peter Siddle and James Pattinson were unavailable due to injury.
The 28-year-old Coulter-Nile is coming back from a shoulder injury that forced him out of the reckoning for selection for his test debut against the West Indies last December. He has played 13 limited-overs internationals and 17 Twenty20 Internationals for Australia since 2013.
Left-arm orthodox spinner O’Keefe could offer backup to Nathan Lyon if Australia goes in with two spinners, and Moises Henriques — who played all three of his tests so far in India in 2013 — was added as an allrounder.
The first test starts July 26 at Kandy, with the series following Australia’s tour to the Caribbean for a limited-overs tri-series against the West Indies and South Africa.
“Henriques comes into the squad to give the flexibility of an additional all-rounder option, having already shown he plays and adapts well to spin-friendly conditions,” Australia selector Rod Marsh said. “Jackson Bird and Nathan Coulter-Nile join the squad and will give us good control and pace.”
Marsh said the 31-year-old O’Keefe, who has played two tests, would complement Lyon and would play an important role in the sub-continental conditions if he makes the starting XI.
“We know his ability, he takes wickets continually in first-class cricket and he impresses when we select him to play test cricket.”
The batting order retains the same players involved in most of the domestic tests last season.
Marsh said the team was selected with sub-continental conditions in mind. Top-ranked Australia has won four of its five series in Sri Lanka, including the last two in 2004 and ‘11, but has struggled generally on tours to the region in the past decade, including a record in India of eight losses, two draws and no wins in its last three test series there.
Squad: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Stephen O’Keefe, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jackson Bird.