Australia has unveiled a formidable 15-player roster for the forthcoming T20 International series against New Zealand, featuring the return of the esteemed pace trio: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood. This announcement comes in the wake of Australia's commitment to fielding a robust team for the series, underscored by Hazlewood's comments following the second ODI against West Indies about assembling a full-strength lineup to counter the formidable New Zealand side.
Star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been named the captain of the squad that boosts experience and extreme firepower.
This series against New Zealand is particularly significant as it represents Australia's final preparation before heading into the T20 World Cup, set to be hosted by the West Indies and the United States. George Bailey, the selection committee chairman, emphasised the team's focused preparations for the global tournament.
"Travis, Pat, Mitchell and Steve rejoin the squad following the series against the West Indies with Jason Behrendorff and Sean Abbott amongst the standby players from those playing the upcoming T20s," Bailey said.
"The next six games will provide us the opportunity to start shaping what we think our World Cup squad will look like and potential roles within that.
"We will also fully utilise the opportunity to monitor and watch the performances of the Australian players in the IPL immediately preceding the World Cup," Bailey added.
The inclusion of Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood marks their reentry into the T20 format for the first time since their participation in the 2022 T20 World Cup held in Australia. In a strategic move, Mitchell Marsh has been appointed as the captain for the series, despite Cummins' presence in the squad. Additionally, David Warner is set to rejoin the national team following his participation in the ILT20 2024, making his return to the T20 scene after retiring from Test and One-Day Internationals.
The T20I series is scheduled to run from February 21 to February 25, with the matches being hosted in Wellington and Auckland, setting the stage for an exhilarating cricketing showdown between the two cricketing powerhouses.
Australia squad for New Zealand T20Is
Mitchell Marsh (c), Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
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