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.
South African pacer Shabnim Ismail reverses her international retirement to join the squad for the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in the UK, bringing valuable experience to the team.
Sophie Molineux has recovered from a back injury and will captain Australia at the women's Twenty20 World Cup in England. Australia will aim for a record-extending seventh title after losing in the semi-finals in 2024.
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.
They have been clubbed in Group B where they also face Australia, Namibia and Oman.
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.
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.
India Women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur emphasises the importance of the T20I series against South Africa for World Cup preparation, highlighting the need to provide opportunities to all players and build momentum.
After being snubbed at the IPL auctions, Australian Steve Smith has moved to the Pakistan Super League to revive T20 career.
Sharma, who grabbed eyeballs during the Women's Premier League 2026 season with a haul of 17 wickets, said she was overwhelmed by the selection and credited her family and coaches for their constant support.
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 began their T20 World Cup campaign with a thumping 67-run victory over Ireland, in Colombo, on Wednesday.
Australia's Travis Head finished as the leading scorer of the Ashes series with 629 runs from five Tests, including three centuries.
Australia's title bid will be tested by injuries and Asian conditions at the T20 World Cup.
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.
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.
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.
The Australians will reach Lahore on January 28 for the short series.
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.
Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the T20 World Cup after "running out of time" to recover from a hamstring injury.
Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is determined to improve his performance in the Indian Premier League for the Lucknow Super Giants, who are currently struggling after a series of defeats.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has been ruled out of remainder of Australia's Big Bash League due to a knee injury.
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.
'We have to show consistency and move forward with the current combination.'
Pat Cummins will undergo final scans later in the month to determine his participation in the World Cup, Cricket Australia said.
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.
India begins their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA, aiming to leverage their strong team composition and recent form to secure a victory.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald fears there could be more COVID-19 cases in their T20 World Cup squad after Adam Zampa and Matthew Wade contracted the virus midway into their title defence.
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.
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