Aaron Finch will lead Australia's ODI side in the upcoming home series against South Africa as the selectors decided to drop Tim Paine from the 14-member squad.
Paine’s exclusion from the ODI side could signal an end to his limited-overs career, but chief selector Trevor Hohns clarified that the move is made to ensure the wicketkeeper is entirely focussed on leading the Test side.
Josh Hazlewood, one of two Test vice-captains, will continue to play the role, while wicket-keeper batsman Alex Carey was named the other vice-captain.
"We expect Aaron, Josh and Alex to lead the side through a big Australian summer, where we'll meet South Africa and India," said Trevor Hohns, Australia's chairman of selectors. "They'll also be driving our standards and values as we prepare our defence of the World Cup, which is only seven months away.
"Alex Carey will pull on the gloves full-time to allow Tim Paine to focus purely on captaining the Test team, which includes preparing for next year's Ashes. Alex provides us with another strong batting option, as he displayed in last year's Big Bash, and he's a wonderful young leader to have around the group and out in the field."
While Andrew Tye and Billy Stanlake, who are currently featuring in the T20I series against Pakistan, have been left out of the squad, Pat Cummins and Hazlewood have made a return to the side after a long injury hiatus.
"Andrew Tye is unlucky to miss out. The return of Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc, unfortunately, meant there wasn't enough room in the squad for another quick," Hohns said.
"D'Arcy Short has retained his spot in the side alongside Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis. D'Arcy was also outstanding with the bat in the JLT Cup, combined with his energy in the field and ability to come on and bowl leg-spin, he's an extremely versatile member of the squad," he added.
Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Marsh, the Test vice-captain, have been rested with an eye on the fast-approaching World Cup, whereas Marcus Stoinis, who was left out of the T20Is against Pakistan, has managed to regain his place in the ODIs.
"We have made the decision to manage Mitch Marsh and Nathan Lyon carefully to ensure they are in the best condition possible to put their hand up for selection either later in the summer or for the World Cup next year," Hohns asserted.
"We have included two spin bowlers in the squad, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa, and we're looking forward to seeing who can grab the opportunity against South Africa," he concluded.
Australia ODI squad vs South Africa:
Aaron Finch (c), Josh Hazlewood, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
(With ICC inputs)
