SYDNEY (Kashmir English): While expanding their spin options to suit conditions in Sri Lanka and India, Australia has named its provisional 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Injured fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood and big-hitter Tim David have been included in the provisional squad for the Twenty20 World Cup scheduled in February-March in India and Sri Lanka.
Cummins, who has not played a T20I game since June 2024, was rested from the final two Ashes games against England to manage his back issues, only playing in the third test in the series.
According to Cricket Australia, the pacer will undergo final scans later in the month to determine his participation in the World Cup. The teams have until January 31 to name their final squads.
2021 T20 World Cup champions
A 15-player squad has been named by the 2021 T20 World Cup champions, with the door open for late changes should key players not be passed fit.
Mitchell Marsh has been named captain as he welcomes back Pat Cummins, Cameron Green and Cooper Connolly, who all missed the most recent T20 Series against India.
Provisional Australian squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has said the panel had the luxury of focusing on a player group likely to handle conditions in India and Sri Lanka with aplomb, though several players come into the group under a fitness cloud.
“The T20 side has enjoyed a long run of recent success which enabled the panel to choose a balance of players across the variety of conditions Sri Lanka and India may present,” Bailey said.
“Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David are tracking well and we are confident they will be available for the World Cup.
“This is a preliminary squad so should changes need to be made they will ahead of the support period.”
A squad for the three match T20 Series against Pakistan before the World Cup is yet to be unveiled.
