Cummins, Hazlewood, Green return in Australia's WTC final squad

Captain Pat Cummins, fellow quick bowler Josh Hazlewood and all-rounder Cameron Green were all named Tuesday in Australia's 15-man squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa at Lord's next month.

Cummins (ankle) and Hazlewood (hip and calf) missed Australia's most recent Test series in Sri Lanka because of injury but both have successfully returned to action in the Indian Premier League.

Green returns to the squad for the first time since undergoing back surgery in October last year.

Exciting 19-year-old batsman Sam Konstas also gets the nod after being left out of the squad that won both Tests in Sri Lanka and is in line to open alongside Usman Khawaja.

Konstas made an explosive start to his Test career against India in December, hitting 60 from 65 balls at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with six fours and two sixes.

Hazlewood has taken 18 wickets to be third on the IPL bowling charts since coming back from injury.

But he sat out Royal Challengers Bengaluru's last match 10 days ago with a shoulder niggle.

Green is already in England, on a five-match county stint for Gloucestershire, where he has been playing as a batsman only and scored a century in his first game back after surgery.

"We are fortunate and looking forward to having Pat, Josh and Cam back in the squad," said chair of selectors George Bailey.

"The team finished the WTC cycle with an impressive series victory in Sri Lanka following an equally strong summer in defeating India for the first time in a decade."

Cummins' side could become the first to retain the WTC when they face South Africa at Lord's from June 11, having beaten India in the previous final at the Oval in 2023.

The same squad will fly on to the West Indies for three Tests in Barbados, Grenada and Jamaica from June 25.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

South Africa name 15-man squad

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad on Tuesday named a 15-man squad for the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's in London from June 11 to 15.

South Africa qualified for the final by winning eight of their 12 matches in the championship, including their last seven in a row.

The squad will assemble in England on May 31 ahead of a four-day warm-up fixture against Zimbabwe at Arundel from June 3 to 6.

Squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt)

IPL return

Cricket Australia said on Tuesday that it was up to its players to choose whether to return to the Indian Premier League and it would "support their individual decisions".

The IPL will resume on Saturday after being suspended since last week because of deadly clashes between India and Pakistan.

A ceasefire was agreed last weekend but by then many foreign players, coaches and officials had left India to return home.

"Following the announcement that the IPL will resume on Saturday, Cricket Australia will support players in their individual decisions whether to return to India or not," CA said in a statement.

The IPL final has been rescheduled for June 3, eating into preparation time for the World Test Championship (WTC) final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's on June 11.

Australia's IPL players include Test captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head, who were all named Tuesday in the squad for the WTC final and subsequent tour of the West Indies.

"Team management will work through preparation implications for the World Test Championship Final for those players who choose to play," CA said.

"We are maintaining communication with the Australian government and BCCI around security arrangements and safety," it added.

Hazlewood plays for second-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru who will host defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday in the first match of the resumed tournament.

Starc plays for Delhi Capitals, who can still make the playoffs, but Cummin and Head play for Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are already out of contention.

Table-toppers Gujarat Titans began training on Sunday with South Africa's Kagiso Rabada and Sherfane Rutherford of the West Indies taking part, both having chosen to remain in India after the IPL was suspended last Friday.

Indian media reported that Punjab's coaching staff, including former Australian head coach Ricky Ponting, did not leave the country.

Bengaluru is one of six cities that will host the rest of the tournament along with Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

The venues for the playoffs and final, originally scheduled for Kolkata and Hyderabad,  are yet to be announced.

The IPL was suspended Friday a day after a match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was abandoned in Dharamsala, less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the northern city of Jammu, where explosions were reported.

A special train was arranged for players to return to Delhi on Friday as airspace was closed, while overseas players began to head home on Saturday.