Swepson, Bird in Australia squad for Bangladesh tour

Uncapped leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson and seamer Jackson Bird will bolster Australia's bowling department in its two-Test tour.

Uncapped leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson has been added to Australia's squad for its two-Test tour of Bangladesh. Seamer Jackson Bird was belatedly named in the squad after James Pattinson was ruled out due to a back injury.

The 30-year-old Bird has played eight Tests in his career.

An original 13-man party was named in June for the tour, which had appeared under threat before a long-running pay dispute between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association

was settled this week .

Australia had always intended to name an extra bowler at a later date to replace the injured Mitchell Starc. Swepson, a non-playing member of the Test squad that toured India earlier in 2017, has now been called up to join fellow spinners Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar.

"We are comfortable with the fast-bowling stocks we have in the squad so have opted to add an additional spinner given the conditions we are likely to face in Bangladesh," said selector Trevor Hohns. "Mitchell is a very exciting young leg-spinner who we think will benefit immensely from further experience in the sub-continent."

Swepson, 23, has not played a first-class match since December, but did impress in the Big Bash League prior to his selection for the India tour. He had been due to tour South Africa with Australia's A squad in July and August, only for that tour to be cancelled due to the pay dispute.

The first Test between Australia and Bangladesh takes place in Dhaka from August 27.

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade (wk).