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squad

Australia unveils spin-heavy provisional squad ahead of T20 World Cup

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Australia unveils

Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have been named in a spin-friendly 15-man provisional Australian squad for this year’s Twenty20 World Cup, despite injuries affecting their recent Ashes campaign.

Test skipper Cummins featured in only one of the five Ashes Tests against England in Adelaide, as he continues to recover from a lower back issue, while Hazlewood missed the entire series due to an Achilles injury.

Cummins is scheduled for another back scan later this month to determine his fitness for the tournament, which begins on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. Hazlewood and big-hitter Tim David (hamstring) are also on the comeback trail but are expected to be ready.

“Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David are tracking well, and we are confident they will be available for the World Cup,” said chief selector George Bailey. He added that this is a preliminary squad and changes could be made ahead of the support period.

Left-arm spinners Matt Kuhnemann and Cooper Connolly are new additions alongside experienced tweaker Adam Zampa and part-timer Glenn Maxwell. Australia’s group-stage matches will be played in Sri Lanka, where spin-friendly pitches are expected.

In a surprise move, the selectors chose no backup wicketkeeper for Josh Inglis and no left-arm pace replacement for Mitchell Starc, who has retired from T20 internationals. The fast-bowling attack will be led by Cummins and Hazlewood, supported by Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett, Cameron Green, and Marcus Stoinis.

Australia will open their tournament campaign against Ireland on February 11 in Colombo. A separate squad will be named for a T20 series against Pakistan preceding the World Cup.

Provisional Squad: Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

Australia announce squad for third Ashes Test against England

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Australia announce

Adelaide: Australia have named a 15-member squad for the third Ashes Test against England, with captain Pat Cummins returning to lead the side. Usman Khawaja has also been retained despite concerns over a back injury.

Cummins, who missed the first two matches, will resume captaincy duties in Adelaide. Khawaja was dropped from the playing XI in the second Test, where debutant opener Jack Weatherald impressed with a maiden half-century at the Gabba, but the veteran batter has been included in the squad for the upcoming Test.

Due to the strong opening partnership between Travis Head and Jack Weatherald, Khawaja’s return as opener appears unlikely. However, his versatility keeps him in contention for a middle-order slot. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are set to continue at No.3 and No.4, while the final middle-order combination remains undecided with Cameron Green, Alex Carey, and Josh Inglis under consideration.

All-rounder Beau Webster has also been included and is being viewed as a strong option for both middle-order batting and bowling depth, especially if there are fitness concerns over Cummins or other pacers.

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who starred in the second Test, said the team have started the series strongly but must not become complacent. He stressed that despite leading 2-0, the Ashes are far from over as England remain a formidable opponent.

Australia, mindful of the 2023 Ashes where they let a 2-0 advantage slip to finish 2-2, are aiming to approach the third match with caution and a solid strategy.

Fast bowlers Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser may miss out on the final XI due to Cummins’ return and the expected inclusion of Nathan Lyon, who was left out of a home Test for the first time in 13 years in Brisbane.

Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the series due to hamstring and calf injuries, while Jhye Richardson is recovering from shoulder surgery and will train with the squad in Adelaide.

The third Ashes Test begins on December 17 at Adelaide Oval.

Australia Squad:

Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jack Weatherald, Beau Webster.