Owen and Morris ruled out of South Africa ODIs as Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly and Matt Kuhnemann have been drafted into the squad.
Owen and Morris, along with Matt Short ruled out of South Africa series.
After being hit in the helmet by Kagiso Rabada in Darwin, Mitchell Owen suffered a concussion that prevented him from playing in the decisive Twenty20 International match against South Africa and the ensuing ODI series.
Owen cleared an on-field assessment after being hit on the grille second ball but then reported delayed symptoms after being disqualified. He will not be able to make his ODI debut because he will be entering a mandated stand-down period of at least 12 days.
Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, and Matt Kuhnemann have been summoned into the team for the ODI series, which begins next Tuesday, and fast bowler Lance Morris and all-rounder Matt Short will also be absent.
In preparation for the series, Morris complained of back pain, which would have been a worrying development for a player with a history of back issues and would have signalled an international comeback. He is back in Perth for additional evaluation and to play in the four-day Australia tour. Now, a trip to India might not be possible.
Meanwhile, Short’s side strain from the West Indies is still bothering him. He will not be eligible for any of the matches after being initially ruled out of the first two Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa. It carries on Short’s interrupted international career run.
The all-rounder from Western Australia, Hardie, was previously selected to fill in for Short on the T20I team. With the call-up of left-arm spinner Kuhnemann, who previously participated in four ODIs in 2022, Australia might form a double spin assault with Adam Zampa.
Connolly, a left-arm spinner and batsman, was selected for Australia’s Champions Trophy team earlier this year and participated in the match against India in the semi-final.
Alex Carey was brought into the team and played his first Twenty20 International match since 2021, while Josh Inglis missed the second T20I due to “flu-like” symptoms.