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Cummins Ruled Out of T20 World Cup, Australia Finalizes Squad with Two Changes

Australia's pace spearhead Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the upcoming T20 World Cup due to a lingering back injury. The final 15-member squad sees Josh Hazlewood included after recovering from his own injuries, while top-order batter Matthew Short has been omitted. Mitchell Marsh will captain a spin-heavy squad that includes all-rounders like Glenn Maxwell. Australia begins its World Cup campaign in Group B against Ireland on February 11 in Colombo.

Key Points: Pat Cummins Out of T20 World Cup, Australia Squad Changes

  • Pat Cummins ruled out with back injury
  • Josh Hazlewood included after Ashes absence
  • Matthew Short omitted from final squad
  • Mitchell Marsh to captain spin-heavy team
2 min read

Cummins ruled out as Australia make two changes in T20 WC squad

Pat Cummins ruled out of T20 World Cup with injury. Australia finalizes 15-man squad with Josh Hazlewood included and Matthew Short omitted.

"The pacer... has not recovered fully from his lingering back injury and will miss the marquee tournament. - Cricket Australia"

Sydney, Jan 31

Australia's pace spearhead Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to injury as Cricket Australia made two changes to the provisional squad to finalise their 15-member team for the mega T20 spectacle, commencing on February 7.

Cummins, along with Josh Hazlewood and Tim David, had initially been named in Australia's provisional squad, pending fitness. The pacer, who has not played since his solitary Ashes Test appearance in Adelaide, since suffering a lumbar stress injury in July, has not recovered fully from his lingering back injury and will miss the marquee tournament in Sri Lanka and India.

Meanwhile, top-order batter Matthew Short has also been omitted from the original 15-player squad. However, Josh Hazlewood, who missed the entire Ashes series due to hamstring and Achilles injuries, has been included in the T20 World Cup squad. Tim David is also back in the team after missing the Pakistan tour.

Mitchell Marsh captains the team as Australia named a spin-heavy group, with Adam Zampa joined by Matthew Kuhnemann, Cooper Connolly and all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Matt Renshaw. Mitchell Owen is the most notable omission from the 15-man squad.

Despite Cummins's absence, the team's fast bowling unit looks strong with Hazlewood leading the pack, supported by Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis, who came in place of Cummins.

Australia has been drawn in Group B alongside Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. They will play their group stage matches in Sri Lanka, kicking off their campaign against Ireland on February 11 in Colombo.

The team is currently playing a three-match T20I series against Pakistan, where Mitchell Marsh's side lost the first match by 22 runs on Thursday.

Australia squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup-

Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, and Ben Dwarshuis.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
As a cricket fan living in India, I feel for Pat. Back injuries are brutal for fast bowlers. Hope he recovers fully. Australia's spin-heavy strategy for the tournament makes sense given the conditions in SL and India. Will be interesting to see how their new-look attack performs.
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Arjun K
Hazlewood is back! That's a massive plus for them. Their pace attack still looks decent with Ellis and Bartlett. But losing your spearhead just before a World Cup is never ideal. Mitchell Marsh has a big task as captain now. Australia in our group? Bring it on! 💪
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Priya S
Interesting to see Tim David back. He can be so destructive in T20s. But I'm surprised by Matthew Short's omission, he was in good form. The squad looks a bit light on pure batters, relying heavily on all-rounders. Could be a weakness if early wickets fall.
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Vikram M
With all due respect to the Australian selectors, dropping Mitchell Owen seems like a strange call. He brings X-factor. And depending on Hazlewood, who himself is coming back from a long injury layoff, is a bit of a gamble. Their group looks manageable, but the knockout stages will be the real test.
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Kavya N
The tournament is in Sri Lanka and India! Our spinners should have a field day. Australia packing their squad with spin options shows they've done their homework. Can't wait for the matches to begin! 🏏 The atmosphere in Colombo and later in India will be electric.

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