Injuries continue to make headlines ahead of Australia’s tour of New Zealand, starting with the first of three T20Is on Wednesday (Feb 21) in Wellington. Days after star all-rounder Marcus Stoinis got ruled out of the T20I leg with a back injury, his replacement, Aaron Hardie, has now suffered a calf issue and is out of the squad. Australia have called in seamer Spencer Johnson as his replacement.

Hardie was not among the first-team players selected for the three T20Is, and soon after he got picked, he complained of calf tightness while playing for West Australia against Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield. As a result, he pulled out of the game and the squad for the New Zealand T20Is on precautionary grounds.

Hardie was due to fly to Wellington on Monday morning (Feb 19), missing day four of the Shield clash. But after experiencing tightness in his calf while bowling on day two, he left for the scans. As per the latest reports, the initial scan did not reveal any damage but kept him away from day three of the ongoing game in Hobart.&nbsp;

WA coach Adam Voges confirmed Hardie will bat on the final day if required.&nbsp;

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"He's got a tight calf. It's more precautionary. He'll bat if required tomorrow. Hopefully, it's nothing too significant,” Voges said.

Meanwhile, vice-captain Matthew Wade will remain unavailable for the first T20I as he stayed back in Hobart for the birth of his first child. Wade will rejoin the squad for the second and third games (on Friday and Saturday, respectively) in Auckland.&nbsp;

<h2>Ellis keen on bagging WC spot</h2>

With Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood all selected for New Zealand T20Is, returning Nathan Ellis is unlikely to find a spot in the XI straightaway. Having missed out on playing the West Indies T20I series, Ellis said he cannot wait to take the field against the Kiwis, pressing his case for a spot in the T20 World Cup later this year.&nbsp;

"I was spewing to miss that West Indies series," Ellis said in Wellington on Sunday. "For me now, it's time to hit the ground running and put my name forward for the World Cup.

"There's not a lot of cricket outside of IPL [before] the World Cup after this series. Security [of a spot] isn't there. I don't think it's ever there. It still feels like a dream to play for Australia so I just want to relish every opportunity I get. The goal is to play a World Cup for Australia so I'll be doing my best to keep my hat in the ring,” Ellis concluded.&nbsp;

Injuries continue to make headlines ahead of Australia’s tour of New Zealand, starting with the first of three T20Is on Wednesday (Feb 21) in Wellington. Days after star all-rounder Marcus Stoinis got ruled out of the T20I leg with a back injury, his replacement, Aaron Hardie, has now suffered a calf issue and is out of the squad.

Injuries continue to make headlines ahead of Australia’s tour of New Zealand, starting with the first of three T20Is on Wednesday (Feb 21) in Wellington. Days after star all-rounder Marcus Stoinis got ruled out of the T20I leg with a back injury, his replacement, Aaron Hardie, has now suffered a calf issue and is out of the squad. Australia have called in seamer Spencer Johnson as his replacement. Hardie was not among the first-team players selected for the three T20Is, and soon after he got picked, he complained of calf tightness while playing for West Australia against Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield. As a result, he pulled out of the game and the squad for the New Zealand T20Is on precautionary grounds. Hardie was due to fly to Wellington on Monday morning (Feb 19), missing day four of the Shield clash. But after experiencing tightness in his calf while bowling on day two, he left for the scans. As per the latest reports, the initial scan did not reveal any damage but kept him away from day three of the ongoing game in Hobart. WA coach Adam Voges confirmed Hardie will bat on the final day if required. ALSO READ: 'I feared him, he gave me sleepless nights': Gautam Gambhir on facing Rohit Sharma in IPL "He's got a tight calf. It's more precautionary. He'll bat if required tomorrow. Hopefully, it's nothing too significant,” Voges said. Meanwhile, vice-captain Matthew Wade will remain unavailable for the first T20I as he stayed back in Hobart for the birth of his first child. Wade will rejoin the squad for the second and third games (on Friday and Saturday, respectively) in Auckland. Ellis keen on bagging WC spot With Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood all selected for New Zealand T20Is, returning Nathan Ellis is unlikely to find a spot in the XI straightaway. Having missed out on playing the West Indies T20I series, Ellis said he cannot wait to take the field against the Kiwis, pressing his case for a spot in the T20 World Cup later this year. "I was spewing to miss that West Indies series," Ellis said in Wellington on Sunday. "For me now, it's time to hit the ground running and put my name forward for the World Cup. "There's not a lot of cricket outside of IPL [before] the World Cup after this series. Security [of a spot] isn't there. I don't think it's ever there. It still feels like a dream to play for Australia so I just want to relish every opportunity I get. The goal is to play a World Cup for Australia so I'll be doing my best to keep my hat in the ring,” Ellis concluded.

Stoinis' replacement Aaron Hardie ruled out of New Zealand T20Is, Spencer Johnson added to squad

Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out from the upcoming New Zealand T20Is with a back injury, while his fellow teammate Aaron Hardie is named his replacement. Keeper-batter Matthew Wade will also miss the first game in Wellington starting&nbsp;Wednesday (Feb 21) due to the birth of his third child but will return to rejoin the squad for the remaining two games.

Stoinis tweaked his back during the second T20I against West Indies in Adelaide but continued to play the game. Scoring just 16 in that match, Stoinis fed the strike to Glenn Maxwell, who slammed his record fifth T20I hundred. Stoinis hogged the limelight in the second innings by picking three for 36 in four overs, helping the team win the match and the series.

Stoinis sat out of the final match held at the Optus Stadium in Perth and subsequently got ruled out of the upcoming New Zealand T20Is.

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Stoinis will stay in Australia to complete his rehab and will be seen in action during the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League beginning mid-March, playing for Lucknow Super Giants.

While Stoinis seemed to have lost his place in the ODI side with mediocre outings, he continues to play a handy role for Australia in the shortest format. During the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, Stoinis played match-winning knocks in the knockout games and contributed with a stunning fifty against Sri Lanka during the home T20 World Cup the following year.&nbsp;

However, Stoinis suffering regular injuries has been a concern for the Aussies as they fear bowling him in consecutive games owing to his history of pulling up.

<h2>Focus on all-rounders&nbsp;</h2>

While Glenn Maxwell is among the fittest&nbsp;all-rounders vying for a spot in the playing XI, the absence of Stoinis and Cameron Green will mount pressure on the touring team for the New Zealand series. Green is not considered for this series, as the selectors are said to be protecting him for the longer formats.

Besides, Hardie’s selection gives the selectors more options to look at as backup players for the T20 World Cup later this year in the West Indies and the USA.&nbsp;

<h3>Australia’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series –</h3>

Mitchell Marsh (captain), 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 and Adam Zampa

Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out from the upcoming New Zealand T20Is with a back injury, while his fellow teammate Aaron Hardie is named his replacement.

Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out from the upcoming New Zealand T20Is with a back injury, while his fellow teammate Aaron Hardie is named his replacement. Keeper-batter Matthew Wade will also miss the first game in Wellington starting Wednesday (Feb 21) due to the birth of his third child but will return to rejoin the squad for the remaining two games. Stoinis tweaked his back during the second T20I against West Indies in Adelaide but continued to play the game. Scoring just 16 in that match, Stoinis fed the strike to Glenn Maxwell, who slammed his record fifth T20I hundred. Stoinis hogged the limelight in the second innings by picking three for 36 in four overs, helping the team win the match and the series. Stoinis sat out of the final match held at the Optus Stadium in Perth and subsequently got ruled out of the upcoming New Zealand T20Is. ALSO READ: IND vs ENG: Ravichandran Ashwin withdraws from ongoing Rajkot Test owing to personal reason Stoinis will stay in Australia to complete his rehab and will be seen in action during the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League beginning mid-March, playing for Lucknow Super Giants. While Stoinis seemed to have lost his place in the ODI side with mediocre outings, he continues to play a handy role for Australia in the shortest format. During the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, Stoinis played match-winning knocks in the knockout games and contributed with a stunning fifty against Sri Lanka during the home T20 World Cup the following year. However, Stoinis suffering regular injuries has been a concern for the Aussies as they fear bowling him in consecutive games owing to his history of pulling up. Focus on all-rounders While Glenn Maxwell is among the fittest all-rounders vying for a spot in the playing XI, the absence of Stoinis and Cameron Green will mount pressure on the touring team for the New Zealand series. Green is not considered for this series, as the selectors are said to be protecting him for the longer formats. Besides, Hardie’s selection gives the selectors more options to look at as backup players for the T20 World Cup later this year in the West Indies and the USA. Australia’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series – Mitchell Marsh (captain), 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 and Adam Zampa

Back injury rules Marcus Stoinis out of New Zealand T20Is, Australia name replacement

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Stoinis' replacement Aaron Hardie ruled out of New Zealand T20Is, Spencer Johnson added to squad

Back injury rules Marcus Stoinis out of New Zealand T20Is, Australia name replacement