In a blow to Australia's T20 World Cup 2026 hopes, star fast bowler Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the tournament due to a persistent back injury. The injury, which has troubled him for over six months, has forced selectors to replace him in the 15-member squad. The T20 World Cup is set to commence on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
Ben Dwarshuis, a left-arm pacer from the Sydney Sixers, has been named as Cummins' replacement. According to Australian selector Tony Dodemaide, Dwarshuis offers a valuable left-arm pace option, dynamic fielding skills, and late-order hitting ability. Dodemaide believes Dwarshuis' ability to swing the ball at pace and his clever variations will be well-suited to the expected conditions.
Australia has also made another change to their squad, with Matthew Renshaw replacing Matt Short. Renshaw, who recently made his T20 international debut in Pakistan, has impressed in all formats and provides versatility in the middle order. Selectors opted for Renshaw to bolster the middle order, especially considering the expected spin-heavy conditions in Sri Lanka during the pool stages. Dodemaide noted that Renshaw's left-handedness offers a different dimension to the middle-order batting.
Short's omission comes as a surprise, especially after being a traveling reserve in the last two T20 World Cup campaigns. However, a poor Big Bash season and his exclusion from Australia's recent T20 loss to Pakistan seem to have influenced the selectors' decision. Despite Steve Smith's strong Big Bash form, he was overlooked for selection.
Cummins' absence is a significant setback for Australia. He featured in only one of the five Ashes Tests against England, and despite being included in the provisional World Cup squad, his back injury has not healed sufficiently. Australia had hoped for his availability in the Super Eight stage of the tournament.
Australia's revised T20 World Cup squad is led by Mitchell Marsh and includes players such as Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Adam Zampa. Australia is currently in Pakistan for a series of T20 matches as part of their World Cup preparations. Australia's first match of the T20 World Cup is against Ireland on February 11 at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
