Australia's T20 World Cup 2026 hopes dim as Pat Cummins and Matthew Short miss out
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Australia has announced its final squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will begin in February under the joint hosting of India and Sri Lanka. However, the Australian team has suffered a major setback even before the start of the tournament. The team's key fast bowler Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the entire World Cup due to a back injury. Cricket Australia has made a total of two major changes in its 15-member squad. Apart from Cummins, top-order batsman Matthew Short has also been dropped from the team. At the same time, veteran batsman Steve Smith, who created a stir in the Big Bash League (BBL), has also not found a place in this squad.
Entry of new faces
Following Pat Cummins's exclusion, left-arm fast bowler Ben Dwarshius has been included in the squad. Meanwhile, batsman Matthew Renshaw has replaced Matthew Short. Selector Tony Dodmaide believes this new pairing will prove beneficial for the team in the mega-event, which begins on February 7th. Dwarshius not only provides a left-arm fast bowling option, but is also an excellent fielder and can bat well in the lower order.
Return of injured players and fitness updates
The Australian camp is relieved that Josh Hazlewood, Tim David, and Nathan Ellis have been declared fully fit for the World Cup. Hazlewood has been out of action since suffering hamstring and ankle injuries before the Ashes. Meanwhile, explosive batsman Tim David missed most of the BBL matches and the Pakistan series due to a hamstring injury. Nathan Ellis also missed the BBL final and the Pakistan tour due to a minor injury, but he is now fully fit.
The selector explained the reason for the change
Selector Ben Dodemaide stated that Pat Cummins needs more time to recover from his back injury, so no risk was taken. He expressed confidence in Ben Dwarshius, saying that his ability to swing the ball at pace and clever variations will be very useful to the team in the conditions in India and Sri Lanka. Regarding Matt Renshaw, he said that Renshaw has impressed recently in all formats. Spinners are expected to find assistance during the pool stage in Sri Lanka, so Renshaw will provide additional strength to the middle order. As a left-handed batsman, he brings variety to the batting order.
Australia's T20 World Cup squad:
Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshius, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, and Adam Zampa.