Cummins ruled out of T20 World Cup

Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup after failing to recover fully from a lingering back injury.

Cricket Australia confirmed that Cummins, who had been named in the provisional squad with the hope he could be managed through the early stages, “needs more time” to recover from a lumbar stress injury. Left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis has been drafted in as his replacement.

Cummins has not played since the Adelaide Test against England in mid-December, his only appearance since July after initial symptoms of the injury surfaced. He was shut down following that match, with the Ashes already secured, to prioritise rehabilitation ahead of the World Cup. 

While scans taken in January showed encouraging signs, selectors have decided not to risk the fast bowler in a condensed global tournament.

Australia selector Tony Dodemaide said Dwarshuis was a like-for-like option in terms of balance. 

“With Pat needing more time to recover from his back injury, Ben is a ready replacement who offers a left-arm-pace option,” he said, citing his ability to swing the ball and provide depth in the lower order.

The final squad also saw Matthew Short dropped, with Matt Renshaw included to bolster the middle order against spin-heavy conditions expected in Sri Lanka. 

Steven Smith again misses out, despite strong Big Bash League form, with selectors favouring flexibility over a specialist top-order batter.

In better news for Australia, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David and Nathan Ellis have all been cleared to play after recent injury concerns.

Australia squad

Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa