Injured Chris Lynn out of Australia A tour

Matthew Wade, the Victoria wicketkeeper-batsman, has been added to the Australia A one-day squad to tour Zimbabwe next month. Wade will replace the Queensland batsman Chris Lynn, who is set to have surgery to repair a finger injury and is expected to spend two to three months on the sidelines.

Wade, 23, played for Australia A last year, but his inclusion this year alongside the captain Tim Paine suggests the selectors are willing to consider him as a specialist batsman, not just a wicketkeeper. He has the recent form to justify the selection, having been the second-leading run scorer in the Ryobi Cup last summer.

Only his Victorian team-mate Brad Hodge scored more than the 489 runs posted by Wade, who averaged 61.12 and made three centuries. It was a breakthrough summer in the short format for Wade, who enjoyed being promoted to open the batting and helped the Bushrangers to their first one-day title in more than a decade.

"The unfortunate injury to Chris Lynn has given rise to the opportunity for Matthew Wade, the Victorian wicket-keeper and batsman, to be added to the Australia A squad for the one-day section of the tour of Zimbabwe," the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said. "Matthew is a dynamic batsman who had an excellent season last year scoring 489 runs in the Ryobi Cup and we are sure he will impress at international level."

The selectors also said the fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, who was originally named in both the one-day and four-day squads, would now only take part in the longer format on the Australia A tour. The players are expected to depart for Zimbabwe on June 25.