MELBOURNE, Australia — Cricket Australia has announced a significant roster revision for the upcoming T20 World Cup, with star fast bowler Pat Cummins officially withdrawn from contention due to an ongoing back injury. The decision comes after medical assessment confirmed Cummins’ insufficient recovery from a six-month ailment, forcing his exclusion just before the final squad deadline.
Left-arm allrounder Ben Dwarshuis has been named as Cummins’ replacement, bringing a different dynamic to Australia’s bowling attack. National selector Tony Dodemaide emphasized Dwarshuis’ strategic value, noting his “left-arm pace option combined with dynamic fielding and lower-order batting capabilities.” Dodemaide further explained that Dwarshuis’ ability to swing the ball at pace with intelligent variations made him ideally suited to expected tournament conditions.
The selection adjustments extended beyond Cummins’ replacement, with Matt Short making way for Matthew Renshaw—a surprising inclusion given Renshaw’s international T20 debut occurred merely two days prior against Pakistan.
In positive news for the squad, both Josh Hazlewood and Tim David have been retained as they continue their rehabilitation from hamstring injuries. Notably absent from the final roster is veteran batsman Steve Smith, despite his impressive performance in Australia’s domestic Big Bash League with the Sydney Sixers that had generated significant public support for his inclusion.
Australia’s World Cup campaign commences on February 11 against Ireland in Colombo, followed by matches against Zimbabwe (February 13), Sri Lanka (February 16), and Oman (February 20). Should the team advance beyond the group stage, they will travel to India for the Super Eights phase of the tournament.
The squad announcement comes during Australia’s ongoing warmup series in Pakistan, where they currently trail 2-0 with one match remaining. Under ICC regulations, squad modifications remain permissible until January 31.
Final Australia Squad: Mitch Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.