World Cup hero Travis Head’s late entry to the tournament in India has cost him an early exit with Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Sean Abbott set to leave the T20 series with matches still to go.
Australian captain Pat Cummins declared the players were “not robots” in defending the decision by selectors to give the trio an early mark just two games in to the T20 series, following back-to-back losses.
All three were part of Australia’s victorious World Cup squad, with Stoinis and Abbott having been on the road for more than 80 days having been part of a T20 and ODI series in South Africa before the tournament.
Abbott was part of the gruelling six-week World Cup and played just one game.
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Maxwell was a late addition to that tour, but then played all bar one World Cup game, which he missed through concussion.
Star spinner Adam Zampa, who had also been on the road since that South African tour began at the start of September, played every game at the World Cup and the second T20 against India, is also believed to have left.
Steve Smith, however, is staying on as he looks to get more experience opening the batting ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.
Head joined the World Cup late after recovering from a broken hand in Adelaide, and after celebrating the World Cup win hard, missed the opening two T20s.
Cummins said it was fair to bring some players home with Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe and Chris Green among the reinforcements being sent to India.
“I don’t (begrudge them). It’s been a pretty busy few months,” Cummins said on Tuesday at the SCG.
“These are still games for Australia and it’s great that these tours do provide opportunities for some of the younger guys or guys who might not be in the first XI.
“I think these are important tours and you can get a lot out of them.
“But they’re humans. They’re not robots.
“Putting everything into a World Cup and then playing a few days later, I don’t begrudge them (for coming home).”
India picked a squad with only two players who featured in last Sunday’s World Cup final for the five-match series, highlighting the scheduling fail.