Queensland pace bowler Mark Steketee has been named as the replacement player for injured Michael Neser. Meanwhile, South Australia pace bowler Brendan Doggett will be the standby for the three-match Test rubber.
Mark Steketee Replaced Injured Neser
“Steketee replaces Michael Neser who was today ruled out with a side strain. He’ll play this week’s #SheffieldShield game against Victoria before joining the Australian squad. Brendan Doggett will also join the squad next week as cover #PAKvAUS,” Cricket Australia tweeted.
Steketee replaces Michael Neser who was today ruled out with a side strain.
He’ll play this week’s #SheffieldShield game against Victoria before joining the Australian squad. Brendan Doggett will also join the squad next week as cover #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/r3UKiI4hIY
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) February 16, 2022
The uncapped Steketee was part of Australia’s extended squad for the tour of South Africa in 2021 before it was eventually called off.
Steketee, who made his first-class debut versus Tasmania in February 2015, has bagged 182 wickets at 25.67 in first-class cricket. He has also snared 29 scalps at an impressive average of 16.31 in this season’s Sheffield Shield.
Michael Neser Injured
Neser injured himself while he was warming up to bowl during the innings break of Queensland and NSW. The Pretoria pacer seemed to be in some discomfort but, tried his level best to continue bowling and in fact, did manage to bowl a couple of deliveries.
The second one turned out to be a wide ball after which the bowler left the field and could take no further part in the contest. He has now been replaced by the uncapped Queensland quick Mark Steketee.
Heading into the Pakistan Test series, Australia apart from Naser are already short of a pacer. Promising speedster Jhye Richardson will be missing next month’s red-ball series. He has been rested as a part of the team’s workload management.
Uncapped fast bowler Brendan Doggett has also been named in the squad as a standby by player for the tour. NSW bowling allrounder Sean Abbott is also on standby for the Pakistan tour, but he missed the Shield clash against Queensland as he recovers from a side strain of his own.
The Test-playing contingent and staff are due to depart for Pakistan later this month while white-ball players, to be announced separately, will join mid-tour for the One-Day Internationals and T20 International.
Previously Australia played 8 Test series in Pakistan but could win only two series there- in 1959 and 1994. This series will also be part of the ICC World Test Championship. Currently, Australia is at no. 2 in the WTC points table while Pakistan sits at no.3.
Australia squad
Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. On standby: Brendan Doggett, Sean Abbott
