Australia have handed debut to all-rounder Jack Edwards in the first ODI against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday. The seam-bowling all-rounder came in place of Pat Cummins, who sat out of the game as a part of the workload management, considering the upcoming Test series against the Proteas, which is a part of the World Test Championship.
Edwards was handed over the men’s Australia ODI cap no.254 by Cummins just before the toss. In the absence of Cummins, T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh is leading the side and opted to bowl first in an overcast morning.
Australia are coming after hammering Zimbabwe 3-0 in the recent ODI series. Interestingly, Australia are yet to win a bilateral ODI series against South Africa and the reigning world champions will be eager to change the statistics this time. The series also serves both teams in the buildup to the 2027 ODI World Cup to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Edwards possess a strong domestic backing in terms of runs and wickets. The New South Wales cricketer has a great List A record, scoring 882 runs in 36 matches at a strike rate of 90.18. With the ball, the right-arm medium pacer has taken 24 wickets at an economy of 4.92. The 26-year-old was initially scheduled to travel to India with the Australian A squad, but was rushed to South Africa, as a late injury replacement for Billy Stanlake.
Earlier, Edwards has already made his international debut for Australia in a T20I against Pakistan in Lahore in January 2026. He scored just five runs with the ball and conceded 25 runs in his two overs, without taking a wicket as Australia lost the game.
Jack Edwards in franchise T20 leagues
