Australia calls up teenage paceman Beardman for England ODIs

Mahli Beardman, a 19-year-old fast bowler, has been placed on standby for Australia's upcoming one-day international series against England. Despite having limited experience in senior professional cricket, with only six overs bowled, Beardman gained recognition for his outstanding performance in the Under-19 World Cup final, where he took 3 wickets for 15 runs against India. His only List A appearance resulted in figures of 1-42 against New South Wales in the Marsh Cup last November. The decision to include Beardman in the squad comes amid injury concerns affecting Australia's pace attack, which has already seen Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith, and Xavier Bartlett sidelined. The team management is also cautious about overburdening senior bowlers like Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who are crucial to the team's success. This situation has prompted the selectors to look for fresh talent to bolster the squad. In addition to Beardman, left-armer Ben Dwarshuis and Cooper Connolly have been added to the ODI squad. Dwarshuis has experience playing in English domestic cricket, having represented Durham and Northern Superchargers this season. Connolly was initially set to leave after the T20 series but will now remain with the team for the ODIs. As the 50-over world champions prepare for the first match of the five-game series at Trent Bridge, the inclusion of young players like Beardman reflects Australia's strategy to manage player workloads while also nurturing emerging talent in the national setup.