2026 T20 World Cup: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood in line to be included in Australia squad
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "2026 T20 World Cup: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood in line to be included in Australia squad")
2026 T20 World Cup Cummins, Hazlewood in line to be included in Australia squad Photograph: (Others)
Cummins and Hazlewood are out of Australia's squad for the fifth and final Ashes Test at the SCG.
Australia received a massive boost ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, with three of their first-team players, Test captain Pat Cummins, seamer Josh Hazlewood and all-rounder Tim David, all currently recovering from respective injuries, in line to be included in the provisional squad. Cummins, who recovered in time to play the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, opted out of the remainder of the series to work on his ailing back, on which he will have scans in four weeks to determine his chances of featuring in the multi-team tournament.
While Hazlewood got ruled out of the Ashes with an Achilles issue, T20 specialist David is out of the remainder of the Big Bash League (BBL) for Hobart Hurricanes with a grade two hamstring strain he sustained during his team’s match on Boxing Day.
Also read | Ashes: England quick ruled out of SCG Test; Australia lock in Khawaja amid his future uncertainty
Cummins, on the other hand, was out of all cricket action since suffering a lumber stress injury in his back during the away tour of the West Indies in July this year. Although he was far from regaining fitness in time for the home Ashes, per earlier reports, a rapid and early return for the third Test in Adelaide surprised everyone, as he led his team to a win and helped them retain the urn. The Test skipper then swiftly took his name off the squad for the remaining two matches, as he and Cricket Australia weren’t willing to risk his fitness heading into the T20 season.
Head coach Andrew McDonald said Australia would name its final 15 before the deadline (Jan 2) but confirmed that the call on Cummins’ selection would be taken closer to the event.
"Pat will have a scan, I think, in another four weeks, so that'll give us the information then on where he's at for the World Cup," McDonald said. "He'll be named in the squad of 15, and then we'll get that information as to where he's at."
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Meanwhile, speaking of Hazlewood and David, McDonald said the lanky quick has returned to bowling in the nets, while assuming that the recovery timeframe in David’s case would allow him to regain fitness for the T20 World Cup, which starts on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
“Josh is returning to bowl. He looks as though he should be right in terms of possible timeframes,” McDonald said of Hazlewood.
"I think the timeframe will be kind on TD as well. So, he should be available no matter what that injury is," McDonald said about Tim David’s injury on Monday.
