Australia have made late changes to their squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, with Pat Cummins ruled out because of a lingering back injury. Left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis has been added to the final 15 in his place, while Matthew Short has been dropped for Matt Renshaw. Steve Smith has again missed out.
Cummins had been named in the provisional squad with hopes he could recover in time, but Cricket Australia said he needs more time to fully heal, despite encouraging scans in January. He has played only once since last July, appearing in the Adelaide Ashes Test before being rested again. Dwarshuis, who narrowly missed the provisional squad, comes in to add variety with his left-arm pace, fielding and lower-order hitting.
There is better news on the fitness front, with Josh Hazlewood, Tim David and Nathan Ellis all cleared to play after recent hamstring and Achilles issues that kept them out of parts of the BBL and international series.
Short’s omission is down to poor form and Australia’s desire for another left-handed batter who can handle spin in the middle overs. Renshaw earns his call-up after strong domestic and BBL seasons, along with promising recent ODI and T20I performances. Selectors believe his flexibility and ability against spin suit the Sri Lankan conditions expected in the early stages of the tournament.
Smith’s exclusion comes despite outstanding recent T20 numbers, but Australia view him mainly as a specialist opening batter — a role already well covered by Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell.
The final squad features Marsh as captain alongside Bartlett, Connolly, David, Dwarshuis, Green, Ellis, Hazlewood, Head, Inglis, Kuhnemann, Maxwell, Renshaw, Stoinis and Zampa.
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