Australia Announces T20 World Cup Squad with Key Players Returning
Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood Included in T20 World Cup Squad
On Thursday, Australia revealed its spin-focused squad for this year's T20 World Cup, featuring Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Their participation was previously hindered due to injuries sustained during the Ashes series. Test captain Cummins managed to play only one of the five Ashes Tests against England, which took place in Adelaide. He is gradually recovering from a lower back injury, while Hazlewood missed the entire series due to an Achilles tendon injury.
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A scan of Cummins' back is scheduled for the end of this month to assess his fitness for the tournament starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. Hazlewood, along with explosive batsman Tim David, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, is also expected to return soon. Chief selector George Bailey expressed optimism about the recovery of Cummins, Hazlewood, and David, stating that they should be available for the World Cup. This is an initial squad, and any necessary changes will be made before the practice period.
Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann and Cooper Connolly have been added to the nearly settled 15-member squad alongside main spinner Adam Zampa and part-time spinner Glenn Maxwell. All of Australia's group stage matches will take place in Sri Lanka, where the pitches are anticipated to favor spin bowlers. Surprisingly, Australia has not included a backup wicketkeeper for Josh Inglis and has not selected a left-arm fast bowler to replace Mitchell Starc, who has retired from T20 cricket.
The fast bowling attack will be led by Cummins and Hazlewood, complemented by Nathan Ellis and Javier Bartlett. All-rounders like Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis, who are also right-handed batsmen, will support the squad. Bailey noted that the T20 team has achieved consistent success in recent matches, aiding in the balanced selection of players suited for the diverse pitches in Sri Lanka and India.
Australia's Squad: Mitchell Marsh (Captain), Javier 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.