Australian preparations ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 suffered a significant setback with his captain and first fast bowler Pat Cummins sat out the marquee event due to injury. Cricket Australia has confirmed that Cummins has not fully recovered from an ongoing back problem and will miss the tournament, which starts on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
Cummins’ absence deprives Australia of a proven match-winner and leader, especially at high-pressure global events, forcing selectors to rethink their balance ahead of the multi-team competition.
Steve Smith and Matthew Shaw failed to make the cut in Australia’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
Another major talking point from Australia’s final 15-man squad announcement Steve Smith. Calls for Smith’s inclusion have intensified following an exceptional Big Bash League campaign in which the former captain scored 299 runs in just six innings. He averaged 59.80 and scored an impressive 167.97 underlining his continued value in the shortest format.
Despite this rich vein of form, the selectors preferred to look beyond Smith, giving a clear preference to players who offer flexibility between roles and conditions rather than ultimate domestic advantage alone.
Top-order player Matthew Short was another notable exception as Australia rounded out their World Cup combination. Short’s absence, combined with Smith’s omission, highlighted the selectors’ focus on squad balance rather than individual statistics.
Selectors name Pat Cummins’ replacement for T20 World Cup 2026
In response to these changes, the left arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis and versatile dough Matthew Renshaw were named as replacements, adding depth to both the bowling and batting departments.
Selector Tony Dodemaide explained that Dvarshuis was a natural replacement for Cummins given the team’s needs and the conditions expected during the tournament.
“With Pat needing more time to recover from his back injury, Ben is a ready replacement who offers left-arm pace option as well as dynamic pitching and late-order batting.” Dodemaide said in an official statement.
“We believe his ability to swing the ball at good pace and smart changes will suit the conditions we expect and the overall structure of the squad.”
Dwarshuis’ skill set provides Australia with variety in the pace attack, especially useful on the slower surfaces expected in parts of the tournament.
Dodemaide also revealed the main reasons behind Renshaw’s selection, pointing to his adaptability across formats and roles.
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“Matt has impressed recently in multiple roles across all formats, including white ball formats for Australia, Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat” he said.
“With top-level steady and tough conditions expected in the pool stages in Sri Lanka, we feel Matt provides additional middle-order support, completing Tim David’s comeback program in the first round of the tournament. As a left-hander, he also offers a difference in middle-order batting.”
Australia, who are in Group B of the tournament, will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against Ireland on February 11 in Colombo.
Australia’s 15-man squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
