Injury setbacks force Australia into late changes ahead of ODI series vs South Africa

Australia’s preparations for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa have taken a significant hit, with three players ruled out due to injury just days before the first match in Cairns on August 19. Mitchell Owen, Lance Morris, and Matt Short will all miss the series, prompting a reshuffle in the squad.

Owen, who was in line to make his ODI debut, has been sidelined following a delayed concussion. The 23-year-old all-rounder was struck on the helmet by a Kagiso Rabada bouncer during the second T20I in Darwin. Though he initially passed the concussion test, symptoms emerged later, forcing him into the mandatory 12-day protocol and ruling him out of both the T20I decider and the entire ODI leg.

Matt Short’s absence was confirmed after the right-hander failed to recover from a side strain picked up during the recent West Indies tour. Having already missed the first two T20Is, Short will now miss the entire white-ball leg of the South Africa series.

Adding to the injury woes, fast bowler Lance Morris has also been withdrawn after experiencing lower back soreness during training. He has returned to Perth for further assessment, casting doubt on his availability for the upcoming Australia A tour of India as well.

Haardie, Kuhnemann, Connolly called up

In response to the triple setback, selectors have called up all-rounder Aaron Hardie, spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, and young batting prospect Cooper Connolly as replacements for the three-match ODI series. The matches are scheduled for August 19 in Cairns, followed by back-to-back fixtures in Mackay on August 22 and 24.

Meanwhile, the T20I series remains finely poised, with the series being 1-1 ahead of the final game. A standout performance from Tim David (83 off 53) helped seal a 17-run win in the opener, stretching their winning streak to nine matches. In the second game, Dewald Brevis stole the show with his century.