Pace bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, along with batsman Tim David, have been included in Australia’s 15-player provisional squad for the T20 World Cup, despite ongoing injury worries. Cummins, recovering from a lumbar stress injury, will undergo a scan to assess his fitness for the tournament after playing just one match since July. Hazlewood, who missed the Ashes series due to hamstring and Achilles issues, and David, who suffered a hamstring injury in a BBL game, are also in contention.
Chief selector George Bailey expressed confidence in the trio’s recovery, stating that the team selection aimed to cover various playing conditions expected in Sri Lanka and India. Mitchell Marsh will lead the squad, which features a spin-heavy composition including Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann, and all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Short. Notably, Mitchell Owen has been left out of the squad.
Australia’s preparations for the World Cup include a series of T20Is in Pakistan in late January. The team, drawn in Group B alongside Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe, will commence their campaign in Sri Lanka against Ireland on February 11 in Colombo. The squad also excludes a left-arm fast bowler due to Mitchell Starc’s retirement from the format and Spencer Johnson’s injury, with right-armer Xavier Bartlett making the cut over Ben Dwarshuis.
