Marsh captains Australia T20 squad for NZ collection

Mitchell Marsh appears to be like set to steer Australia into this 12 months’s Twenty20 World Cup after being named captain of a full-strength squad for a three-match collection in New Zealand this month, the workforce’s final earlier than June’s world showpiece.

Aaron Finch, who led Australia to their first T20 World Cup triumph in 2021, retired as captain within the shortest format a 12 months in the past however Cricket Australia have but to formally anoint his successor.

Test and one-day skipper Pat Cummins is likely one of the big-name gamers returning to the squad after being rested for the upcoming residence collection towards West Indies however Marsh will retain the captaincy for the matches in Auckland and Wellington.

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First-choice batsmen Travis Head and Steve Smith and left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc return together with Cummins within the 15-man squad for the collection, which begins at Wellington Stadium on February 21 earlier than two matches at Auckland’s Eden Park.

“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,” head selector George Bailey stated in a news launch.

“We will also fully utilise the opportunity to monitor and watch the performances of the Australian players in the (Indian Premier League) immediately preceding the World Cup.”

Matt Short, one of many batters hoping to exchange Finch on the prime of the order, was included within the squad regardless of a low-grade hamstring harm that has dominated him out of the West Indies collection.

Pace bowler Nathan Ellis is recovering from a rib harm and Spencer Johnson is on standby to exchange him within the squad for the West Indies collection ought to he want extra time to be prepared for the journey to New Zealand, Cricket Australia stated.

Australia tackle West Indies in a three-match T20 collection beginning in Hobart on Friday as a part of their preparations for the June 1-29 World Cup within the Caribbean and United States.

Squad:

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, Adam Zampa