NEW DELHI:
Mitchell Marsh
is poised to lead
Australia
in the upcoming
Twenty20 World Cup
, having been named
captain
for a three-match series in
New Zealand
this month. The series serves as the final preparation for the team before the global showpiece in June.
Former captain
Aaron Finch
retired from T20 leadership a year ago, leaving the position vacant.
Despite Test and one-day skipper
Pat Cummins
returning to the squad for the New Zealand series, Mitchell Marsh has been entrusted with the captaincy for the matches in Auckland and Wellington.
The 15-man squad, reflecting full-strength, includes key players such as Travis Head, Steve Smith, and left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc, who are set to bolster the team's firepower.
Head selector George Bailey highlighted the significance of these matches in shaping the World Cup squad and identifying potential roles.
"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," Bailey stated in a news release.
The selectors also plan to closely monitor the performances of Australian players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) leading up to the World Cup.
Despite a low-grade hamstring injury ruling him out of the West Indies series, batsman Matt Short, vying for the top-order spot, finds a place in the squad.
Pace bowler Nathan Ellis, currently recovering from a rib injury, has Spencer Johnson on standby for the West Indies series, ensuring flexibility in the squad composition.
Australia's T20 preparations intensify with a three-match series against West Indies starting in Hobart on Friday, serving as a crucial build-up to the T20 World Cup scheduled from June 1 to 29 in the Caribbean and the United States.
The inclusion of experienced players and Marsh's captaincy signals Australia's strong intent to defend their T20 World Cup title.
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
(With inputs from Reuters)
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