After breaking his finger in the nets, bowling allrounder Sean Abbott has been ruled out of the rest of the Sri Lanka tour. Peter Handscomb has also departed the Australia A team to be with his expectant girlfriend in Melbourne.

Abbott was part of Australia’s T20I team. The team was preparing for the first of a three-match T20I series. The squad was preparing in Colombo on Tuesday, despite not being named in the XI for the opening game. However, when batting in the nets, he fractured his left index finger.

Sean Abbott has been declared out for the duration of the trip. He was meant to join the Australia A team for the four-day matches. This was after the T20I series because he isn’t in the ODI squad.

Handscomb had already stated that he will not return to captain Middlesex in the county championship following Australia A series in Sri Lanka. He has opted to return home to be with his pregnant girlfriend, as the couple is expecting their first child.

Scott Boland, a Test bowler, has been called up to fly to Sri Lanka tour before the two-match Test series. He is supposed to cover for Abbott in Australia A four-day matches. He was supposed to come later. This was because players of the Test-only squad were not required to travel until later in the month.

As a back-up for Handscomb, Queensland wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson has been called up to the A-team. Peirson was called up in case Australia A requires a specialist wicketkeeper for the four-day game. And also if Josh Inglis is required to bat in the ODI series. Josh Philippe is in the A-team. He is only expected to participate in 50-over games.

Australia’s selectors have chosen an A XI for the opening 50-over encounter on Wednesday in Colombo. Alex Carey is slated to lead the team. Cameron Green has also been picked. Carey and Green were not initially included in the A-team.

They have now been added for the two 50-over games as part of the preparation for the ODI series, which begins next Tuesday. Todd Murphy, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Tanveer Sangha have all been picked to play for Australia A, as the team hopes to expose its young spinners to Sri Lankan conditions.