Mitchell Marsh is the official captain of Australia for the T20 World Cup, having led the T20I team for the previous year on an interim basis.
He is in charge of a formidable 15-man team that includes Ashton Agar and Cameron Green, who haven’t competed for Australia in the shortest format since late 2022.
Steve Smith, who played for Australia against New Zealand as late as February 2024, did not make the squad. Australia will be without Smith in a World Cup for the first time since 2014.
Squad: Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitch Marsh (c),
“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,” Marsh said. “We have had some strong success in recent times and I am hopeful that will continue in what looks like a wide-open tournament.”
Agar’s participation is based on the possibility of slow conditions in the Caribbean. Selection chief George Bailey remarked, “It’s great to have Ashton Agar back into the squad following a spate of unfortunate and untimely injuries.”
“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.”
The team’s only frontline spinner, Adam Zampa, will have teammates Glenn Maxwell and Agar to flip over their arm in tandem.
Jake Fraser-McGurk, a young and promising player for the Delhi Capitals who has lit up the Indian Premier League with his offensive style, is surpassed by Green in the squad. Yet, Green’s ability to bat in the middle of the order gives him greater versatility for the team.
Australia has reaffirmed its confidence in Travis Head and David Warner for their top-order.
The team’s two wicketkeepers are Matthew Wade and Josh Inglis, while Nathan Ellis, a specialist in death overs, joins the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood.
In addition to Smith, the other players that were in the running for a spot on the roster but were not selected were Aaron Hardie, Matt Short, Xavier Bartlett, Jason Behrendorff, and Spencer Johnson.
“Being constrained to a squad of 15 for World Cups is always a challenge given the different scenarios and options we’d like to cover,” Bailey stated. “We will continue monitoring several players who have missed out on this preliminary squad and note that if we wish to change this squad, we have the option to do so over the coming weeks in accordance with ICC regulations.”
Australia’s World Cup campaign begins on June 6 in Barbados against Oman.
