Australia have drafted young all-rounder Cooper Connolly into their ICC Champions Trophy squad as a replacement for the injured Matthew Short, just ahead of their semi-final clash against India in Dubai on Tuesday.
Short sustained a calf injury while fielding during Australia's rain-affected match against Afghanistan in Lahore. The injury visibly hampered him, particularly when he made a quickfire 20 at the top of the order before rain led to the game being abandoned.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Australia captain Steve Smith had earlier hinted that Short's recovery in time for the semi-final was unlikely.
"I think he'll be struggling," Smith said after the match. "We saw tonight he wasn't moving very well, and I think it's probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover."
Connolly, a left-handed batter and left-arm spinner, has played six internationals for Australia, including three ODIs. The 20-year-old has shown promise in domestic cricket and now gets an opportunity on the big stage as Australia prepare for their high-stakes knockout clash against India.
Australia squad: - Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Adam Zampa.
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