In a significant blow to their championship aspirations, Australia has finalized their 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, confirming that star pacer and Test/ODI captain Pat Cummins will miss the tournament.
Cricket Australia announced the final roster on Saturday, January 31, ahead of the marquee event set to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka starting February 7. While the core of the 2021 title-winning side remains, injury management and tactical pivots for Asian conditions have led to some surprising inclusions and omissions.
The Pat Cummins Blow
The headline news is undoubtedly the exclusion of Pat Cummins. Despite being named in the provisional squad earlier this month, Cummins has failed to recover from a lingering back injury that has plagued him for over six months.
Selectors were hopeful that the veteran quick would be fit for the Super Eight stage, but medical staff ultimately advised against his participation to avoid long-term damage. This Worldbaazi marks the first time in years that Australia will head into a major white-ball tournament without the "Big Three" pace trio (Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood) fully intact, especially following Mitchell Starc’s recent retirement from the format.
Key Changes and New Faces
With Cummins out, the selection panel has turned to Ben Dwarshuis. The Sydney Sixers left-armer brings a different dimension to the attack, offering swing and clever variations that selectors believe will be vital on the slower decks of Sri Lanka.
In another major move, top-order batter Matt Short was dropped from the final squad due to form concerns. He has been replaced by Matthew Renshaw, who offers versatility in the middle order and a left-handed option to disrupt opposition spin strategies.
Injury Updates: Fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Josh Hazlewood and Tim David have both been cleared for the tournament after recovering from their respective hamstring concerns.
Australia's Full 15-Member Squad
Led by Mitchell Marsh, the squad leans heavily on spin depth and all-round flexibility.
|
Player |
Role |
|---|---|
|
Mitchell Marsh (c) |
All-rounder / Captain |
|
Travis Head |
Opening Batter |
|
Josh Inglis |
Wicketkeeper-Batter |
|
Glenn Maxwell |
All-rounder |
|
Marcus Stoinis |
All-rounder |
|
Cameron Green |
All-rounder |
|
Tim David |
Finisher |
|
Matthew Renshaw |
Batter |
|
Adam Zampa |
Leg-spinner |
|
Josh Hazlewood |
Fast Bowler |
|
Nathan Ellis |
Fast Bowler (Death Specialist) |
|
Xavier Bartlett |
Fast Bowler |
|
Ben Dwarshuis |
Left-arm Fast Bowler |
|
Matthew Kuhnemann |
Left-arm Spinner |
|
Cooper Connolly |
All-rounder (Spin) |
Strategy for India and Sri Lanka
The inclusion of Matthew Kuhnemann and Cooper Connolly alongside Adam Zampa highlights Australia's "spin-heavy" approach. With the group stage matches scheduled for Sri Lanka, the Aussies are prioritizing bowlers who can extract turn and control the run rate in the middle overs.
Veteran Steve Smith remains absent from the T20 setup, signaling a definitive shift toward a more explosive batting order.
What's Next?
Australia is currently fine-tuning their preparations in a T20I series against Pakistan. They will open their World Cup campaign against Ireland on February 11 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Placed in Group B alongside Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Oman, the 2021 champions will be tested early by local conditions and the absence of their most experienced leader in Cummins.