FILE PHOTO: Cricket - England v Australia - Fifth One Day International - Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - June 24, 2018 Australia's Travis Head during the match Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Opener Travis Head must bide his time before he can cement his place in Australia's one-day squad, coach Andrew McDonald said ahead of their five-match series against Sri Lanka beginning on Tuesday.
With David Warner skipping the one-day series in Pakistan earlier this year, Head partnered skipper Aaron Finch at the top order and was their second highest run-scorer with a century and a fifty in three innings.
The left-hander smashed a breezy hundred for Australia A in Sri Lanka but McDonald said Warner's return meant Head must wait for his turn which may come in the later stage of the ODI series.
"He just has to bide his time at the moment," McDonald told reporters on Sunday.
"We see it as an opportunity for him to get some really good match opportunities within that A Game building into the test series. That's equally important as well, his exposure to the sub-continent conditions."
Head was adjudged man-of-the-series in Australia's Ashes triumph against England earlier this year and will be expected to carry his rich form in the two-test series against Sri Lanka later this month.
"We're not saying that he won't play any part in the ODI series," McDonald said.
"He got an opportunity in Pakistan and took that with some brilliant ball-striking, which was seen by all.
"Davey (Warner) comes back into that spot, obviously Steve Smith comes back in as well, so there’s two big inclusions.
"He is pushing hard for selection."
All-rounder Cameron Green would not bowl in the first two ODIs having pulled up sore for Australia A and might play purely as a batter, the coach said.
"He's just a fraction behind where we'd like him to be so we'll probably go on the conservative side there.
"But the three games back in Colombo, we feel as though he'll be well positioned to fill his full capabilities as an all-rounder."
Australia won the T20 series against Sri Lanka 2-1.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
