The world champion Australian team relies on its rich experience and comprehensive ability to strive for its third championship trophy.

Pat Cummins will return to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in Australia next month after missing the Test tour of Sri Lanka, with injured pacer Josh Hazlewood set to return Limited overs team.

Australia’s Test and One-Day International (ODI) captain Cummins, who opted out of the upcoming series against Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second child, was named in the 50-plus world champions’ pre-selected 15-man squad on Monday.

Cummins suffered an ankle injury during the Border-Gavaskar Test series against India.

Hazlewood was also included in the two-time Championship winner’s squad as calf and side strains limited him to just two Tests against India in the summer.

Opener Jack Fraser-McGurk was dropped when they returned, paying the price for Australia’s poor performance after starting the recent one-day series against Pakistan.

“This is a balanced and experienced squad with a core of players who played in the last World Cup, the West Indies series, last year’s successful tour of England and the recent home series in Pakistan,” chief selector George Bailey said when announcing the lineup.

“It provides multiple options for tourism management, depending on objections and scenarios that may arise in Pakistan.”

All-rounders Matt Short and Aaron Hardie and fast bowler Nathan Ellis are the least experienced international players in the squad, with an ODI performance each Less than a dozen.

Australia won the trophy in 2006 and 2009 and last hosted it in 2017.

The Eight Nations Cup will be played between February 19 and March 9 between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

In the first round of the group stage, the Australian team was divided with Afghanistan, England and South Africa.

Team: Pat Cummins (captain), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardy, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis , Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam ·Zampa