Pat Cummins ruled out of T20 World Cup, Ben Dwarshuis called up

Australia suffered a major setback ahead of the T20 World Cup as star pacer Pat Cummins was ruled out due to a lingering back injury. The 32-year-old will miss the tournament, set to be held across India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8 , prompting selectors to bring in Ben Dwarshuis as his replacement in the 15-member squad.

Top-order batter Matthew Short was also omitted from the original squad, with Matthew Renshaw stepping in. Selector Tony Dodemaide said, “With Pat needing more time to recover, Ben is a ready replacement who provides a left-arm pace option , dynamic fielding, and late-order hitting. Matt has impressed across formats recently and adds flexibility to the middle order , especially in the spin-heavy conditions expected in Sri Lanka.”

Cummins’ absence is a huge blow for Australia, as he is one of the world’s premier fast bowlers, capable of swinging the ball at pace and contributing valuable runs lower down the order. But Australia’s final squad also saw some other surprising omissions .

One of the biggest talking points is the absence of Mitchell Starc , who is not part of the team because he retired from T20I cricket . Starc’s raw pace and experience in death overs would have been a major asset, making his absence a notable gap in Australia’s bowling attack.

Another unexpected omission is Steve Smith , one of Australia’s most consistent batters. Despite strong recent performances in the Big Bash League (BBL) , selectors chose not to include him, citing that the batting order is already settled and they preferred players who fit the team’s specific T20 strategy.

Meanwhile, Matthew Short was dropped in favor of Matthew Renshaw , who offers a left-handed option and extra middle-order support , particularly useful against the spin-heavy pitches expected in Sri Lanka and India.

Australia’s squad has been closely monitored for fitness ahead of the tournament. The trio of Josh Hazlewood, Tim David, and Nathan Ellis have cleared fitness tests despite previous injuries. Hazlewood returns after missing time due to hamstring and Achilles injuries , David after a hamstring issue that kept him out of the BBL and Pakistan series, and Ellis after missing both the BBL finals and Pakistan tour.

Australia is currently engaged in a three-match T20 series against Pakistan in Lahore , before heading to Sri Lanka for the World Cup pool stages . With the top order settled, the team still has depth and variety, but the absence of Cummins and Starc leaves a notable hole in Australia’s strike bowling arsenal , while the omission of Smith reduces the experience in crunch batting situations.

The finalized Australian squad for the T20 World Cup includes: 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.