SYDNEY (AP) Veteran batsmen George Bailey and Aaron Finch have been cut from Australia's limited-overs international squad in favor of Chris Lynn, who has been rewarded for his stunning form in the Twenty20 Big Bash with a call up for the five-match series against Pakistan.
Lynn clobbered 11 sixes in his unbeaten 98 from 49 balls for Brisbane Heat against the Scorers in Perth this week, taking his total to 26 sixes in the Big Bash this season. One of those, in an earlier match at the Gabba, was hit out of the stadium.
Australia coach Darren Lehman says the 26-year-old Lynn will now have an opportunity to perform on a bigger stage.
''He's exciting to watch, isn't he? Everyone loves what he's brought to the T20 format,'' Lehmann said. ''Now the challenge for him is to do it in the one-day format, which we know he can.''
Overall, Australia made three changes to the squad that beat New Zealand 3-0 last month, drafting in Lynn, Billy Stanlake and Usman Khawaja in place of former ODI captain Bailey, opener Finch and allrounder Hilton Cartwright.
Khawaja is set to open alongside David Warner at the Gabba on Friday when the series against Pakistan begins.
''Chris Lynn is in superb form for the Brisbane Heat and although that is a different form of the game, we believe it is right that we give him the chance to show whether he can convert his wonderful ball-striking ability to ODIs,'' national selector Trevor Hohns said Saturday.
The ODI squad was announced hours after Australia completed a 3-0 test series sweep of Pakistan with a 220-run win at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Warner showed glimpses during the test of what he hopes to take into the ODI series, becoming the first batsman ever to hit 100 in the first session of a test match on Australian soil and then posting the second-fastest test half century ever to propel Australia toward victory in the second innings
---
Australian ODI squad: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (captain), Mitch Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, James Faulkner, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake.
