Cliff Notes – Owen, Morris, Short ruled out of South Africa series

Mitchell Owen has been ruled out of the T20I decider and ODI series against South Africa due to concussion, following a blow to the helmet from Kagiso Rabada.
Fast bowler Lance Morris is sidelined with back soreness, raising concerns about his fitness for upcoming matches, while allrounder Matt Short remains unavailable due to a side strain.
Aaron Hardie and Matt Kuhnemann have been called up to the squad, with Kuhnemann potentially joining Adam Zampa in a twin spin attack for the ODIs.

Owen, Morris, Short ruled out of South Africa series

Andrew McGlashanAug 14, 2025, 02:44 AM

CloseDeputy Editor Andrew arrived at ESPNcricinfo via Manchester and Cape Town, after finding the assistant editor at a weak moment as he watched England’s batting collapse in the Newlands Test. Andrew began his cricket writing as a freelance covering Lancashire during 2004 when they were relegated in the County Championship. In fact, they were top of the table when he began reporting on them but things went dramatically downhill. He likes to let people know that he is a supporter of county cricket, a fact his colleagues will testify to and bemoan in equal quantities.

Mitchell Owen has been ruled out of the deciding T20I against South Africa and the ODI series which follows due to concussion after being struck on the helmet by Kagiso Rabada in Darwin.

Owen passed an on-field assessment after being hit on the grille second ball but then reported delayed symptoms after being dismissed. He will enter a mandatory stand-down period of at least 12 days meaning he will miss the chance of an ODI debut.

Fast bowler Lance Morris and allrounder Matt Short will also miss the ODI series which starts next Tuesday with Aaron Hardie and Matt Kuhnemann called into the squad.

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Morris reported back soreness as he prepared for the series which would have marked an international return and will be a concerning development for a player with a history of back problems. He has returned to Perth for further assessment and his participation in the four-day leg of the Australia A tour of India may now be in doubt.

Short, meanwhile, still has not recovered from the side strain he picked up in West Indies. He was initially ruled out of the first two T20Is against South Africa, but he now won’t be available for any of the matches. It continues a disrupted run to Short’s international career after he suffered a quad injury during the Champions Trophy earlier this year.

South Africa leveled the T20I series with a 53-run victory on Tuesday with the decider taking place in Cairns on Saturday. The city then hosts the opening ODI on August 19 with the final two matches in Mackay on August 22 and 24.

Hardie, the Western Australia allrounder, had already been drafted into the T20I squad as cover for Short. Left-arm spinner Kuhnemann previously played four ODIs in 2022 and his call-up means Australia could field a twin spin attack alongside Adam Zampa.

Josh Inglis missed the second T20I with “flu-like” symptoms with Alex Carey called into the squad and playing his first match in the format since 2021.

Updated Australia ODI squad

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Adam Zampa