Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh and Jhye Richardson are set to make long-awaited returns to international cricket in the upcoming three-match ODI series against India after being named alongside skipper Pat Cummins, David Warner and Ashton Agar in Australia's 16-man squad.
But Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the ODIs after flying home from the Test series due to Achilles tendonitis as selectors opted for him to continue his recovery at home with an eye to the World Test Championship final and the Ashes, following his intended involvement in the IPL.
"It would be great for Josh to be part of this series but we have taken a conservative view ahead of a very important winter in England of which he will be an integral part," Australia chair of selectors George Bailey said.
Maxwell and Marsh have both been named following prolonged periods on the sidelines. Maxwell broke his leg in a freak accident in November and has only returned to playing in the last week.
He made 61 for his club side Fitzroy-Doncaster in his first game back in Victorian premier cricket before playing in this week's Sheffield Shield game against South Australia at the Junction Oval. He made scores of 5 and 0 and did not bowl in Victoria's 177-run win.
Marsh has not played since the three-match ODI series against England in November last year in the week after the T20 World Cup after undergoing ankle surgery. Marsh was battling an ankle injury that has been ongoing throughout his career. The issue had kept him out of an ODI series against New Zealand last year and a three-match T20I series against India prior to the World Cup.
He opted to miss the BBL and have the ankle cleaned out to be fit for the India ODI series and the IPL. Marsh has not yet returned to competitive cricket but is expected to play in Western Australia's 50-over Marsh Cup match against Tasmania on Sunday as well as the Marsh Cup final, with Western Australia set to host it on March 8.
Richardson has not played international cricket since the Sri Lanka limited-overs tour in the middle of last year. He has been plagued by soft tissue injuries this summer while playing for Western Australia and Perth Scorchers.
He has managed just one 50-over match, two Shield appearances and seven BBL matches since then and he missed the Scorchers' BBL title win after suffering a serious hamstring injury halfway through the tournament.
"With the World Cup just over seven months away, these matches in India are an important step in our preparation," Bailey said. "Glenn, Mitchell and Jhye are all important players in what we think the squad might look like come October."
Cummins, Warner and Agar have all been included despite leaving India this week during the Border-Gavaskar Test series to return home for various reasons. Cummins has made an emergency dash home for family reasons but he is booked to return and play the final two Tests and the ODI series.
There is no official vice-captain named in the ODI squad with Hazlewood standing in as captain for one ODI against England last November. Australia's selectors want to be flexible with the ODI leadership and have a group of players including Test vice-captain Steven Smith, Alex Carey, Marsh and Hazlewood as back-up captaincy options if Cummins does not play.
Warner flew home on Wednesday having been ruled out of the final two Tests after suffering a hairline fracture in his left elbow but he will be fit for the ODI series where he is set to open alongside Travis Head.
Agar arrived home on Wednesday to play some domestic cricket in Australia after a discussion with tour selector Tony Dodemaide. He has slipped from the second spinner in Australia's Test XI in Sydney to the fifth-choice spinner in the Test squad in a matter of weeks and it was decided he would be better served playing Shield and Marsh Cup cricket for WA before returning for the ODI series where he will likely be one of two specialist spinners picked alongside Adam Zampa.