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.
After veiled boycott threat, Pakistan name 15-member squad for T20 World Cup.
Batters Jamie Smith and Jordan Cox have been axed while seamer Saqib Mahmood could not retain his place either.
India's T20 World Cup squad had space for only 15, but the pool of quality options ran far deeper. The consequence was inevitable: several players with genuine claims were left on the outside, the unlucky ones who narrowly missed the cut.
Australia host the next T20 World Cup in 2028 but will be eyeing a bigger prize a few months before that when cricket is reintroduced to the Olympics in LA.
Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup with a back injury, with left-armer Ben Dwarshuis named as his replacement.
They have been clubbed in Group B where they also face Australia, Namibia and Oman.
All-rounder Dasun Shanaka will lead a strong Sri Lankan side for the T20 World Cup, featuring key players including Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera and Charith Asalanka.
Josh Hazlewood will not travel for Australia's early T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka as he continues injury rehabilitation in Sydney.
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.
After being snubbed at the IPL auctions, Australian Steve Smith has moved to the Pakistan Super League to revive T20 career.
Australia began their T20 World Cup campaign with a thumping 67-run victory over Ireland, in Colombo, on Wednesday.
Oman's Aamir Kaleem has become the oldest player to feature in a Twenty20 World Cup, surpassing Ryan Campbell's record. Despite the milestone, Kaleem remains focused on contributing to his team's success and advocating for more opportunities for associate nations to compete against full-member teams.
Australia's title bid will be tested by injuries and Asian conditions at the T20 World Cup.
Injury-hit Australia can still contend at World Cup, says Ellis
In both 2007 (the inaugural T20 World Cup) and 1983 (Zimbabwe beat Australia by 13 runs on June 9, 1983), India went on to lift the trophy after Zimbabwe defeated Australia in these major tournaments.
Australia's Travis Head finished as the leading scorer of the Ashes series with 629 runs from five Tests, including three centuries.
Australia will aim to salvage pride against Oman in their final T20 World Cup match after a disappointing campaign marked by injuries and poor form.
The Australians will reach Lahore on January 28 for the short series.
The BCCI celebrated India's T20 World Cup victory, attributing the success to the country's cricketing depth, strategic planning, and the team's outstanding performance under Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir.
Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the T20 World Cup after "running out of time" to recover from a hamstring injury.
Pakistan's players are scheduled to fly to Colombo on Monday despite uncertainty over their participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Travis Head was named as Australia's captain against Ireland, while left-hander Matt Renshaw made his T20 World Cup debut.
The eight players who featured in India's World Cup triumph in 2024 will aim to repeat their magic from two years ago.
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh expressed disappointment over the team's early exit from the T20 World Cup, citing missed opportunities and underperformance in key matches. Despite a final win against Oman, Marsh acknowledged the team's failure to deliver when it mattered most.
India's recent T20 World Cup victory signals a new era of dominance in the format, driven by strategic gameplay, exceptional talent, and the financial power of the BCCI, while other teams struggle to compete.
Singapore-born all-rounder Tim David has been named in Australia's Twenty20 World Cup squad, while leg spinner Mitchell Swepson was omitted, Cricket Australia said on Thursday.
Former India skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday said watching T20 World Cup from the sidelines for the first time in his career will be a "strange" experience as he reflected on the difficult selection calls and leadership decisions that defined his captaincy tenure.
Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has been ruled out of remainder of Australia's Big Bash League due to a knee injury.
India begins their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA, aiming to leverage their strong team composition and recent form to secure a victory.
With their Ashes hero Mitchell Starc retiring from T20 internationals, Xavier Bartlett is set to claim the second pace bowling slot in the group stage of the World Cup.
Pat Cummins will undergo final scans later in the month to determine his participation in the World Cup, Cricket Australia said.
'We have to show consistency and move forward with the current combination.'
Matheesha Pathirana has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20 World Cup due to a muscle strain, further impacting Sri Lanka's campaign after Wanindu Hasaranga's earlier injury.
Sri Lanka didn't have the best of preparations for the T20 showpiece as they were whitewashed 0-3 by England in a home T20 series. Ireland will be led by veteran Paul Stirling and feature key players like Harry Tector and Josh Little.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the must-win match against Zimbabwe on Thursday?
Scotland, a late entry into the T20 World Cup, is set to face West Indies in their opening match. Scotland aims to prove their worth and cause upsets against higher-ranked teams, while West Indies look to leverage their experience and firepower.
India will face New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad. India aims to retain the title, while New Zealand seeks their first global white-ball crown. The match is set to be a thrilling contest between two strong teams.
England will be heading into the T20 World Cup with a massive confidence boost following a series win across both white-ball formats in Sri Lanka under captaincy of young Harry Brook, who has switched his side's fortunes since taking over.
West Indies coach Daren Sammy says no team can win the T20 World Cup without beating hosts India, calling them favourites and the biggest hurdle to the title.
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