Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald attributes the team's disappointing T20 World Cup performance to the players' failure to execute, dismissing claims of inadequate preparation.
Australia's 3-0 T20I whitewash by Pakistan has underlined the world champions' World Cup concerns, with Josh Hazlewood unlikely to be fit for the early matches, Pat Cummins admits.
'I think it's a huge credit to (head coach) Andrew McDonald, the coaching staff and the medical staff that we feel like we've got a big squad that we can draw on.'
Cummins has been sidelined with a lumbar stress injury since Australia swept West Indies in the Caribbean in July.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has urged Australia's Usman Khawaja to retire on his own terms
Australia skipper Pat Cummins' chances of playing at next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka are "quite grey at the moment" as he battles a back stress issue that has affected his participation in the ongoing Ashes series against England.
Following eight-wicket defeats in Perth and Brisbane, the England camp took a break in Noosa, with reports in British and Australian media saying the players were drinking throughout their time in the holiday hotspot.
With the Ashes urn in their hands, Australia decided to rule Cummins out of the two remaining Tests.
Australia head coach and selector Andrew McDonald has confirmed Usman Khawaja will play in the fifth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground amid media speculation it could be his last international.
'We thought he'd play a huge part in the series. But really feel for him that he won't get that opportunity.'
An Ashes tour that began with high hopes of taking home the urn has been reduced to a desperate effort to salvage some last vestiges of dignity for England.
Spinner Todd Murphy has been called into the Australia squad in place of the injured Nathan Lyon for this week's fourth Ashes Test, while captain Pat Cummins will skip the rest of the series as his back issue is managed.
Regular captain Pat Cummins was named in the Australia squad on Wednesday for the third Ashes Test against England, a strong indication that the inspirational fast bowler will see his first action of the series in Adelaide next week.
Australia's Lyon angry at being dropped for second Ashes Test
Australia captain Pat Cummins has eased back into bowling in his rehabilitation from a lower-back injury.
Australia paceman Mitchell Starc has warned against flattening surfaces to maximise five-day revenue as England's aggressive "Bazball" approach looms.
Starc also pointed out that the wicket did not assist pacers that much with the new ball and expressed concerns over Nathan Lyon's injury on the final day of the Test and the setback to Hazlewood.
Pat Cummins on Saturday rated himself a "half chance" to play the day-night Test against England in Brisbane from December 4.
Australia are confident that captain Pat Cummins will play a significant part in the Ashes series, head selector George Bailey said, as questions remain over the paceman's fitness for the opening Test in Perth.
Konstas, 20, misses out after a poor tour with the bat in the West Indies, while Weatherald has been included after topping the Sheffield Shield runs list
England batter Harry Brook has cautioned against underestimating Australia in the Ashes series, even as doubts linger over the availability of their captain and fast bowler, Pat Cummins, for the opener in Perth.
McDonald also said the selectors would consider a Test recall for Mitch Marsh, even if Australia's white-ball captain said last week he would be watching the Ashes series beer in hand.
Australia captain Pat Cummins said on Monday he was more likely than not to miss the first Ashes Test in Perth next month and is not absolutely certain of being fit for the second in Brisbane.
'A couple of weeks ago, did he think he was a chance (to play in Perth)? Potentially not, he was a little bit sore. Then you flip it forward two weeks and there's a lot more positivity. We've still got a little bit to go.'
Returning to the bowling crease would mark the final stage of Green's carefully looked-after return to cricket after a spinal fusion operation in Christchurch.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald hinted at a rejig in the top order after misfiring in the World Test Championship final defence against South Africa at Lord's.
'I don't see an end date with the way he's training, the way he's preparing, the way he's moving.'
The 3rd Test match in Kingston, Jamaica, will mark Australia's first day-night Test away from home and if they opt for a pace-heavy attack, Scott Boland could come into the side.
Australia finished second in the league table during the 2023-25 WTC cycle, behind South Africa, having claimed 67.54 per cent of the points on offer to them.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that they will retain the same squad for the upcoming Adelaide Test, which will be starting on December 6.
Adam Griffith has been tasked with grooming the next generation of Australian pace bowlers for bigger assignments like Test cricket.
Across four Tests, Australia's fifth bowling option Marsh has bowled only 33 overs, a statistic that underscores his underutilisation. However, McDonald defended the all-rounder.
'This wasn't an easy decision, but I believe it's the right time for me to step away from ODIs and fully focus on the next chapter of my career.'
Australia captain Pat Cummins is all but ruled out of the Champions Trophy while fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood is also a doubt for the tournament.
Australia's Champions Trophy roster will have a different look to the peerless squad that took a record-extending sixth World Cup title at the 2023 tournament in India.
Australia's bowling was of the highest quality on the final day and there were positives in the batting, too, throughout the third Test in Melbourne.
'Steve had expressed a desire to move back down from that opening position.'
The home team bowlers did not put a foot wrong but the pitch "surprisingly" dried up quite quickly at the Optus stadium on the second day, eventually helping the Indian batters, reckons Australia head coach Andrew McDonald.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald accused the Indian team of trying to 'intimidate' young batter Sam Konstas.
Australia announced a 16-member squad on Thursday with several fresh faces added to the group that played India in the fifth and final Test at Sydney last week. Australia won the marquee series 3-1.
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