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Australia have announced their 15 member provisional squad for the upcoming WT20. Mitchell Marsh will lead the side as they have picked a spin-heavy squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India. The biggest surprise in the squad is Cooper Connolly, who has not featured in any of Australia’s last 12 T20 Internationals.
While big-hitting Mitchell Owen is the most notable omission from the 15-man squad. In the absence of Mitchell Starc (retired from the format) and Spencer Johnson (injury), they have preferred Xavier Bartlett over the left arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis.
Pat Cummins participation in the tournament remains uncertain despite being named in the squad with a scan on his back scheduled later this month set to determine his availability. Josh Hazlewood and Tim David, meanwhile, are both working their way back from hamstring injuries.
“The T20 side has enjoyed a long run of recent success which enabled the panel to choose a balance of players across the variety of conditions Sri Lanka and India may present,” said selection chair George Bailey. He also said that there could be changes in the squad. “This is a preliminary squad so should changes need to be made they will ahead of the support period,” he added
Both Owen and Dwarshuis, as well as other players like Sean Abbott, Aaron Hardie and Josh Philippe, could come back into contention given there are injury clouds over some of the players in the current squad. ICC rules permit squad changes until 31 January.
Australia’s group-stage matches are all being played in Sri Lanka, where spin bowlers account for most wickets. The Aussies will then travel to India for at least some of their Super Eights games, while prior to the tournament. Australia will begin their campaign against Ireland in Colombo on February 11, before facing Zimbabwe at the same venue on February 13. They then travel to Kandy for group-stage fixtures against Sri Lanka on February 16 and Oman on February 20.
Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
