Melbourne: In a surprising move, the 2021 T20 World Cup champions Australia have unveiled their squad for the upcoming tournament in the West Indies and the USA, leaving out seasoned players Steve Smith, Jason Behrendorff, and others.
The squad, led by Mitchell Marsh, includes some unexpected inclusions and exclusions. Young talent Jake Fraser-McGurk misses out, while left-arm spinner Ashton Agar makes a comeback despite not playing a T20I since the last World Cup in 2022.
Selection chair George Bailey expressed confidence in the squad's balance and versatility, stating, "We believe Ashton can play a critical role in this tournament along with Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Cam Green and Mitch Marsh in complementing our front-line attack options."
Bailey acknowledged the difficulty in finalizing the squad, noting that many deserving players had to be left out. He hinted at the possibility of alterations to the squad before the tournament begins on June 5.
Marsh, who will lead Australia in his first major tournament as captain, expressed his excitement, saying, "It's been an immense privilege to play for my country and now an even greater honour to lead the squad to a World Cup."
Australia will commence their title defense against Oman on June 5, followed by Group B matches against England, Namibia, and Scotland.
Teams have until May 25 to make changes to their squads, after which alterations will require approval from the ICC's Event Technical Committee.
Australia squad
Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, and Adam Zampa.