Voges flies home from Champions League

Australia's plans for the forthcoming limited-overs tour of India have been complicated by the news that the middle order batsman, Adam Voges, has flown home from the Champions League due to a back complaint.

Having been ruled out of the Perth Scorchers' final match in the tournament against Mumbai Indians on October 2, Voges returned to Western Australia early, alongside another injured batsman, Liam Davis.

"Voges has an ongoing lower back complaint, and has returned to Perth for further investigation and management," the Scorchers said in a statement.

While Voges will attempt to be fit in time for the departure of the national squad at the end of this week, his injury could leave the selectors thinking more widely about possible replacement batsmen. The captain, Michael Clarke, is already expected to withdraw from the trip due to a chronic back condition.

The most obvious candidates to go to India include Steve Smith and David Warner, but both are marked down to play full schedules with New South Wales ahead of the home Ashes series, a ploy which will help them get used to Australian pitches before the first Test against England.

Other potential candidates for the subcontinent include another New South Welshman, Nic Maddinson, and the South Australia batsman Callum Ferguson, who retains a handsome record for Australia in 50-over matches, despite being called up sporadically by the current selection panel.