After missing the last T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022, left-arm spinner Ashton Agar was called up, and all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green were also included in the final roster.
As the 2021 T20 World Cup champions announced their team for the major short-format competition in the West Indies and the USA starting on June 1, veteran batsman Steve Smith, youthful batting prodigy Jake Fraser-McGurk, seasoned seamer Jason Behrendorff, and all-arounder Matt Short were all left out. The ICC reports that all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green secured a spot in the final squad despite relatively poor form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), while left-arm spinner Ashton Agar was called up despite not having played a Twenty20 international since the last T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022. The team will be led by all-around player Mitchell Marsh.
George Bailey, the selection chair, stated he was optimistic about Australia’s performance in the ninth T20 World Cup since he thought the team had a well-rounded roster.
“This is an experienced squad with extensive World Cup experience that offers a variety of structures and covers the scenarios the panel believes will factor in the West Indies with the unique nature of the venues and our opponents,” Bailey stated in a statement released by the ICC.
“It is great to have Ashton Agar back in the squad following a spate of unfortunate and untimely injuries.”
In addition to Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Cam Green, and Mitch Marsh, we think Ashton can be a vital addition to our attacking lineup in this competition. The various batting options enable a customized strategy for every field and opponent,” he continued.
Bailey observed that several in-form players were unlucky to be left off the roster due to the squad size of 15.
“Steve Smith, Matt Short, Jason Behrendorff, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett were all part of long conversations, along with several others, including Jake Fraser-McGurk, who is yet to play T20 international cricket but continues to impress and is developing rapidly,” Bailey claimed.
“Being constrained to a squad of 15 for World Cups is always a challenge given the different scenarios and options we would like to cover.”
“We will continue monitoring several players who have missed out on this preliminary squad and note that if we need to change this squad, we have the option to do so over the coming month in accordance with ICC regulations.”
“Ultimately the balance of the final 15 needs to provide the best chance of being successful in this campaign,” he went on to say.
Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign begins on June 5 in Barbados against Oman, followed by Group B matches against England, Namibia, and Scotland.
Australia squad: 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.
