Australia Replace Cummins with Dwarshuis Ahead of T20 WC

AFP/APP

Melbourne: Australia’s T20 World Cup plans suffered a setback on Saturday as star paceman Pat Cummins was ruled out of the tournament due to a lingering lower-back injury. In his place, Ben Dwarshuis has been drafted into the squad, while Matthew Renshaw replaces Matt Short.

Cummins, who played only one of the five Ashes Tests against England this summer, had hoped to be fit for the ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka beginning February 7. However, selectors confirmed he needed additional time to recover.

“Pat needs more time to recover from his back injury. Ben is a ready replacement, offering left-arm pace, dynamic fielding, and late-order hitting,” said selector Tony Dodemaide. “His ability to swing the ball at good pace, along with clever variations, will suit the expected conditions and our squad structure.”

Renshaw’s inclusion comes after consistent performances in domestic white-ball cricket for Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat. Matt Short, whose Big Bash League performances were deemed ordinary, has been left out.

“With the top order settled and spin-heavy conditions expected in the pool stages, Matt provides extra middle-order support, while Tim David completes his return-to-play program in the early phase of the tournament,” Dodemaide added. David, a powerful hitter, is recovering from a hamstring injury.

Australia’s squad is tailored for spin-friendly subcontinental conditions, with left-arm pacer Matt Kuhnemann and all-rounder Cooper Connolly complementing chief spinner Adam Zampa and part-timer Glenn Maxwell.

The team will open its campaign against Ireland in Colombo on February 11.

Australia T20 World Cup Squad: Mitchell Marsh (capt), 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.