Cricket Australia have announced a strong 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021, which will take place in Oman and UAE.
Aaron Finch will lead the Australian team after undergoing knee surgery recently whereas Steve Smith has also returned to the squad after elbow injury.
The likes of Pat Cummins, David Warner, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell and Kane Richardson have been included in the squad after these big players missed the recent tours of West Indies and Bangladesh.
Cummins has been named as Finch’s deputy for the T20I showpiece. Meanwhile, Josh Inglis has been included in the squad as the right-hander has been in sublime form. The 26-year old, who was born in the UK, has scored 1472 runs in 55 T20 matches at a whirlwind strike rate of 153.7 and an average of 34.2. Inglis scored 531 runs in the group stages of Vitality T20 Blast in 14 matches for Leicestershire.
Thus, Alex Carey who had led the team in the ODI series against West Indies has been excluded from the team as Inglis is expected to keep wickets.
“We have some of the best players in the world in their respective roles combined with the collective experience to succeed against the very best T20 sides in the world,” chairman of selectors George Bailey said. “Josh has been on our radar for some time with his performances in white ball cricket and more recently in the Vitality Blast where he topped the run charts. He offers the squad flexibility in the batting order with his adaptability, counter attacking ability and power striking. He is a player we are excited about for the future.”
Mitchell Swepson has been named as the third spinner of the team after Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar. Swepson had scalped 4-12 in the fourth T20I against Bangladesh.
“Mitchell has been impressive with the opportunities he has had,” Bailey said. “Given the amount of cricket being played at the World Cup venues, we expect the wickets in the UAE to favour slow bowling, particularly in the latter stages, so he gives us another strong leg-spin option.”
Daniel Sams, Dan Christain and Nathan Ellis have been named as the travelling reserves in the team.
T20 World Cup Squad: Aaron Finch (C), Pat Cummins (VC), Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Swepson.
Travelling reserves: Dan Christian, Daniel Sams, Nathan Ellis
