MELBOURNE: Australia have named injured fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood along with big-hitting batter Tim David in their provisional squad for the Twenty20 World Cup in February–March, while strengthening their spin options to suit conditions in Sri Lanka and India.
Cummins, who has not featured in an international T20 since June 2024, was rested from the final two Ashes tests to manage a back issue and played only the third match of the series. Cricket Australia said the pacer will undergo final scans later this month to determine his availability, with teams required to submit final squads by January 31.
Hazlewood missed the entire Ashes series due to an Achilles-related injury while recovering from a hamstring strain, and David is nursing a fresh hamstring injury sustained in the Big Bash League on Boxing Day.
“They are tracking well and we are confident they will be available for the World Cup,” chair of selectors George Bailey said.
Australia also made surprise selections of left-arm spinners Matt Kuhnemann and Cooper Connolly, who together have just one T20 wicket. They join leg-spinner Adam Zampa, with Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Short providing additional spin options.“This is a preliminary squad,” Bailey added, “so changes can be made ahead of the submission period.”
Australia squad for T20 World Cup: 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
