Sean Abbott named in National Performance Squad for quadrangular A series

Sean Abbott, the New South Wales paceman, headlines the National Performance Squad which will compete in the upcoming quadrangular Winter 'A' Series in Queensland. The 18-man side will play against Australia A, India A and South Africa A in the 50-over format.


Greg Chappell, Cricket Australia national talent manager, said the selected players would experience elite cricket. "All of these players have some degree of state experience as part of the Australian Cricket Pathway and this is just another step up in their development," he said on Thursday (July 21). "Selection in this squad pays tribute to the hard work that these players have put in and acknowledges that performances are noted and rewarded in the current pathway system."

Headlining the squad is Abbott, who has debuted in Australia's T20 International side and has played 31 first-class matches for New South Wales. Other notable inclusions are Under-19 players Arjun Nair and Sam Harper who both made their Sheffield Shield debuts last season.

The side will be coached by Graeme Hick and Ryan Harris. "Although the team's success won't be measured by win-loss ratio, we still expect this side to be competitive and with the talent in the team, a victory along the way isn't out of the question," Hick said. "Alongside the Australia A squad, these players are the future of Australian cricket and we are excited to see the progress they make in this important tournament."

The Quadrangular A series begins on August 13 in Townsville.

National Performance Squad:

Sean Abbott (NSW),Hilton Cartwright (WA),Kyle Gardiner (WA),David Grant (SA),Sam Grimwade (VIC),Sam Harper (VIC),Sam Heazlett (QLD),Clint Hinchliffe (WA),Josh Inglis (WA),Caleb Jewell (TAS),David Moody (WA),Arjun Nair (NSW),Tom O'Donnell (VIC), Matthew Renshaw (QLD),Matthew Short (VIC),Mitchell Swepson (QLD).

Coach:Graeme Hick

Assistant Coach:Ryan Harris