Three Australia players ruled out of South Africa series

Owen has been ruled out of both third T20I and the subsequent ODI

Australia has been forced into a trio of late changes ahead of the upcoming ODI series against South Africa, with Mitchell Owen, Lance Morris, and Matt Short all ruled out due to injury concerns.

Replacements Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, and Matt Kuhnemann have been drafted into the squad.

Mitchell Owen has been ruled out of both the decisive third T20I and the subsequent ODI series after suffering a concussion. He was struck on the helmet by a sharp bouncer from Kagiso Rabada in the second T20I in Darwin.

Although he passed an on-field concussion assessment, Owen later reported delayed symptoms following his dismissal and will now undergo the mandatory 12-day stand-down period, ruling him out of a potential ODI debut.

Fast bowler Lance Morris has also been sidelined after experiencing back soreness during training. The injury is a worrying setback for Morris, who has a history of back issues.

He has returned to Perth for further evaluation, casting doubt over his availability for the upcoming Australia A four-day tour of India.

Allrounder Matt Short, who was initially ruled out of the first two T20Is due to a side strain sustained in the West Indies, has now been ruled out of the entire South Africa series.

It marks another frustrating interruption to Short's international career, having also missed part of the Champions Trophy earlier this year with a quad injury.

South Africa leveled the T20I series with a commanding 53-run win on Tuesday, setting up a series decider in Cairns on Saturday. The same city will host the first ODI on August 19, followed by matches in Mackay on August 22 and 24.

Hardie, who had already joined the T20I squad as cover for Short, now stays on for the ODI leg. Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann, who last played ODIs in 2022, returns and could feature in a spin-heavy attack alongside Adam Zampa.

Cooper Connolly, a left-handed batter and left-arm spinner, joins the squad after making his international debut during the Champions Trophy semi-final against India earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Josh Inglis missed the second T20I with flu-like symptoms. Alex Carey was called in as cover and made his first T20I appearance since 2021.

Updated Australia ODI Squad: Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Adam Zampa.