Australia back subcontinent specialists, injured stars in T20 World Cup squad

2 months ago 15

Australia has backed left-arm spin and its injured veterans to be fit in time for next month’s Twenty20 World Cup - a tournament where Mitch Marsh’s side has missed the semi-finals in its past two editions.

Left-arm spinners Matt Kuhnemann (29) and Cooper Connolly (22) are the two most notable additions to a largely settled 15-man provisional squad named on Thursday for February’s event in Sri Lanka and India.

With the World Cup beginning in less than six weeks, seamer Josh Hazlewood (Achilles) and power-hitter Tim David (hamstring) have been named with hopes they will play a significant role as the tournament rolls on.

Test skipper Pat Cummins has also been included despite not playing an international T20 since the 2024 World Cup in the Caribbean, where Australia were knocked out by eventual semi-finalists Afghanistan.

Cummins is due for another back scan at the end of January after being rested from the last two Ashes Tests. Australia will be able to replace him from outside their squad if he is ruled out.

“Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David are tracking well, and we are confident they will be available for the World Cup,” selection chair George Bailey said on Thursday.

Australia’s T20 World Cup squad

Mitch Marsh (captain), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Matt Short, Adam Zampa, Cooper Connolly, Matt Kuhnemann, Xavier Bartlett.

“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.

“This is a preliminary squad, so should changes need to be made, they will ahead of the support period.”

Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa and Ben Dwarshuis have been Australia’s leading T20 wicket-takers over the past year; however, Brisbane Heat bowler Xavier Bartlett has been preferred to Dwarshuis for the World Cup. Hazlewood was in imperious white-ball form against India before injuries cruelled his Test campaign before it began.

With a nod to subcontinent conditions and Connolly’s impressive BBL form to start this year’s tournament, he and Kuhnemann will vie for second spinning duties behind Zampa.

Australia have won 14 of their 16 T20 outings since July’s tour of the West Indies, with Marsh, David and wicket-keeper Josh Inglis formidable fixtures in a settled batting order that will also include Travis Head. Marcus Stoinis and Matt Short are in reserve.

Cooper Connolly is off to the T20 World Cup.

Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell fill out batting all-rounder roles. Despite his recent red-ball struggles, Green has hit 258 international T20 runs this year at 43 and a strike-rate of 168.

Hobart Hurricanes star Mitch Owen and Dwarshuis are the most notable omissions from the squad, while Inglis is the only recognised keeper.

Australia have the ODI World Cup in their keeping after memorably rolling India on their home turf in 2023, but have underwhelmed in the last two T20 events.

The shock 2024 exit in the West Indies followed a 2022 campaign as hosts where rain and net run-rate contributed to Australia bowing out at the group stage.

A three-game warm-up series against Pakistan scheduled before Australia’s campaign begins on February 11 against Ireland, with games against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Oman in the World Cup’s group stage.

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