Marsh to Lead Spin-Heavy Australia in T20 World Cup 2026 Defense

Star cricketers Pat Cummins, Cameron Green and Cooper Connolly, who all missed the most recent T20I Series against India, have been included in the provisional squad of Australia.

The 2021 edition champions have gone with a spin-heavy squad with leg-spinner Adam Zampa leading the attack alongside Matthew Kuhnemann, Cooper Connolly and all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Short.

Australian chair of selectors George Bailey said that the panel had the luxury of focusing on a player group likely to handle conditions in India and Sri Lanka. However, several players come into the group under a fitness cloud.

"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," Bailey said as quoted by ICC.

"Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David are tracking well, and we are confident they will be available for the World Cup.

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

Interestingly, Australia didn't pick a left-arm seamer, with the retirement of Mitchell Starc from the T2OIs and Spencer Johnson's injury leading to the inclusion of right-armer Xavier Bartlett instead of like-for-like replacement Ben Dwarshuis.

Australia have been placed in Group B alongside Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Oman. The Aussies will play their opening ICC T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against Ireland in Colombo on February 11. Their second group B match will be against Zimbabwe on February 13.

Their third fixture will be against the hosts, Sri Lanka, on February 16. Australia's final group stage match is against Oman on February 20.

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

- ANI