Labuschagne struggled on the tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh in June before finishing with an unbeaten 55 in the final match having been moved down the order. However, with Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh returning to the ODI set-up, and selectors showing faith in some of the younger generation, he has been squeezed out. The Test squad for the South Africa series will be named next week.

News Corp reported on Tuesday that Labuschagne’s Test place was safe and while chair of selectors George Bailey said the squad was still being firmed up he added decisions across formats were taken independently. “We’re still still very much working through what that Test squad looks like, but I can say [we] separate out those formats,” Bailey told reporters.

Marsh will captain the side in Zimbabwe while he and Cummins will share the role in South Africa based on how many matches the latter plays.

Stanlake, meanwhile, was part of the ODI squad for the tour of Pakistan and made his first international appearance in more than seven years when he played in Rawalpindi although he went wicketless in his only appearance of the series.

While the three matches in South Africa will, in part, act as preparation for the Test series for the multi-format players, Australia’s selectors are viewing the ODIs as a key part of planning for next year’s World Cup which will be held South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

“This six-game series is an important lead-in to next year’s World Cup, being played in the same countries, for the group,” Bailey said. “As such it’s great to have Mitch [Marsh], Travis and Josh returning, then Pat and Mitch [Starc] for the [South Africa] leg. This gives us our core of players mixed with some we think will continue to make an impression.

“For Ollie and Joel, who we rate very highly, it’s another fantastic opportunity and a further chance for them to continue their exposure and growth in the Australian team.”

The selectors have resisted the temptation to mix and match between the ODI and Australia A squads which will be in India at the same time having previously flagged the potential for some players to be given red-ball opportunities in India with an eye on next year’s Test series.

“It’s always a tricky one,” Bailey said. “I think [we] touched on this in the past that the opportunity versus not wanting to take away the opportunity of playing those A-games versus not wanting to take away the opportunity to play international cricket.

“I think the three obvious ones in that boat … Cooper, Ollie and then Joel Davies as well, I’d throw into that boat. We discussed discussed even after the South African one-dayers whether there was value in them heading across and continuing to play a bit more white-ball cricket in those one-day games [in India]. But I think where we land on that, all three of them have had some really good subcontinent exposure of late and have had multiple entries there.”

Johnson is the only player who will head to India having been included for the white-ball portion of the A tour with the three one-dayers taking place after the South Africa ODI series has finished.

The Zimbabwe ODIs take place on September 15, 18 and 20 in Harare. The South Africa series will be held on September 24, 27 and 30 in Durban, Johannesburg and Potchefstroom.

Australia’s ODI squad for Zimbabwe and South Africa tours

Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins (SA only), Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc (SA only), Adam Zampa