Veteran batsman Steve Smith, young batting sensation Jake Fraser-McGurk, veteran seamer Jason Behrendorff and all-rounder Matt Short were all missing as the 2021 T20 World Cup champions named their squad for the major short tournament in the West Indies and the US from June 1. Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar won a recall despite not having played a T20I since the last T20 World Cup on Australian soil in 2022, while all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green also earned a place in the final squad despite indifferent form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), according to the ICC. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh will captain the side.
Selection chairman George Bailey said he believes Australia has a well-balanced squad and is confident of a strong performance in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup.
“This is an experienced squad with extensive World Cup experience offering a variety of structures and covering the scenarios that the panel believes will take into account the West Indies, the unique nature of the venues and our opponents,” Bailey said, as quoted by the ICC. .
“It's great to have Ashton Agar back in the squad after a spate of unfortunate and untimely injuries.”
“We believe Ashton can play a crucial role in this tournament, along with Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Cam Green and Mitch Marsh, complementing our frontline attacking options. The hitting options available allow a tailor-made approach to each venue and opponent possible,” he says. added.
Bailey noted that the team size of 15 meant many in-form players were unlucky to miss the squad.
“Steve Smith, Matt Short, Jason Behrendorff, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett were all part of lengthy conversations, along with a number of others including Jake Fraser-McGurk, who is not yet playing T20 international cricket but continues to impress and that is also developing rapidly,” says Bailey.
“It is always a challenge to be limited to a squad of 15 for a World Cup, given the different scenarios and options we would like to discuss.”
“We will continue to monitor several players who have missed out on this provisional selection and note that if we need to make any changes to this selection, we have the opportunity to do so in the coming month, in accordance with ICC rules.”
“Ultimately, the balance of the last fifteen should provide the best chance to be successful in this campaign,” he concluded.
Australia opens its T20 World Cup campaign against Oman in Barbados on June 5, before Group B matches against England, Namibia and Scotland.
Australian selection:Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner and Adam Zampa.
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