Although they have not been picked for the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan, suspended pair of Steve Smith and David Warner will link up with the Australia squad in the UAE.
Australia are due to take on Pakistan in a five-match ODI series in the UAE which begins on March 22 and the two batsmen are set to join the team in Dubai in a bid to reintegrate them with the squad.
The one-year bans handed out to Smith and Warner are due to end on March 29 which would have made them eligible for the fourth and fifth ODIs against Pakistan. However, Cricket Australia had opted not to include the suspended duo in the squad for the clashes.
Smith and Warner will instead play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to sharpen up their preparations for the upcoming ICC World Cup in England.
Warner and Smith will be crucial to Australia’s World Cup hopes.
With the IPL set to get under way on March 23, it remains to be seen for how long the two batsmen will stay with the Australian squad in the UAE. Australia’s ODI squad is currently involved in a five-match series with India that culminates on Wednesday.
The Aussie have named an unchanged 15-man squad for the five-match ODI series against Pakistan and are due to arrive in Dubai on Thursday.
There is an eight-day period before the the start of the first ODI against Pakistan in the UAE and the suspended pair will be looking to use this window to reintegrate themselves with the Aussie squad before they depart for their respective IPL stints.
Smith is due to turn out for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL while Warner will be representing Sunrisers Hyderabad. Both the batsmen had missed out on the IPL last year following the outcry over the infamous ball-tampering saga which occurred during Australia’s tour of South Africa.
