Since returning to the ODI side in March 2022, Head has made 791 runs at 60.84 and a strike rate of 119.84. While he recovers, Mitchell Marsh will likely continue to open with David Warner.

Agar's injury, which was confirmed by scans when he returned home from South Africa for the birth of his child, created a vacancy in the squad and the selectors have opted to change tactics and include Labuschagne rather than pick another frontline spinner.

"We have made the decision to carry Travis through the early stages with the aim of him being available around the mid part of the tournament. He has been a really important player in this ODI team and we are hopeful his return can provide a positive impetus as it gets to the business end of the tournament."

He went on to make 421 runs at 60.14 in eight matches, including a century, also in Bloemfontein, and 72 off 58 balls in Rajkot on Wednesday.

Agar initially suffered a calf strain in pre-season and was ruled out of the T20I series in South Africa. He recovered to play the opening match of the one-day series but pulled up sore after that outing and did not feature again.

He would likely have played a part at various stages during the World Cup, teaming up with Zampa when conditions warranted two frontline spinners. There was also his batting ability, which he showed when helping guide Australia to victory in Bloemfontein.

Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green are both short of runs heading into the World Cup while Alex Carey's 99 is his only significant score in the lead-in.

Australia have warm-up matches against Netherlands on September 30 and Pakistan on October 3 before opening their World Cup campaign against India, in Chennai, on October 8.