Australian Men’s Cricket Team: Australia have suffered a blow ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with fast bowler Pat Cummins ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. Cricket Australia confirmed its 15-man squad for the event, to be played in India and Sri Lanka from Feb. 7 to March 8, with Mitchell Marsh named captain of the 2021 champions.
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Cummins has not fully recovered from a lingering back issue and will miss the global tournament. Top-order batter Matthew Short has also been left out of the original squad. Left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis and batter Matthew Renshaw have been included as replacements.
Selector Tony Dodemaide said Dwarshuis offers balance to the attack with his left-arm pace, along with strong fielding and lower-order batting.“With Pat needing more time to recover from his back injury Ben is a ready replacement who offers a left-arm pace option as well as dynamic fielding and late-order hitting," Dodemaide said. “We believe his ability to swing the ball at good pace along with clever variations will be well suited to the conditions we expect and overall structure of the squad.
Dodemaide added that Renshaw’s recent performances in all formats, including stints with Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat, make him a valuable addition. “With the top order settled and spin-heavy conditions expected in the pool stages in Sri Lanka, we also feel Matt provides extra middle-order support. As a left-hander, he also offers a point of difference in the batting lineup,” he said.
Australia’s full squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), 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.
