Australia’s selection panel has made a series of eye-catching decisions ahead of the T20I World Cup, ruling out champion fast bowler Pat Cummins. Cummins will sit out the T20 World Cup as Australia continues to manage his recovery from stress fractures in his back.
Selectors, meanwhile, have added Sydney Sixers left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis to the final 15-player squad, earning a reward for his consistency and effectiveness in domestic T20 cricket. The selectors have also turned to Matthew Renshaw, whose versatility and recent form have seen him recalled to the national setup.
"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. 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," Australia selector Tony Dodemaide said.
"Matt has impressed in all formats of late, including in multiple roles in white ball formats for Australia, the Queensland Bulls and the Brisbane Heat.
"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, with Tim David completing his return-to-play programme in the early phase of the tournament.
"As a left-hander, he [Renshaw] also offers a point of difference to the middle order batting."
Australia 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