The road to the 2026 T20 World Cup for Australia

[cricketnut14]

19 games within the next 7 months :
5 v WI (A)
3 v SA (H)
3 v NZ (A)
5 v Ind (H)
3 v Pak (A)
T20 World Cup

time to get the team right with preparations for the world cup

squad for west indies:

M.Marsh (c)
M.Short
J.Inglis
C.Green
A.Hardie
C.Connolly
M.Owen
G.Maxwell
T.David
S.Abbott
B.Dwarshuis
N.Ellis
S.Johnson
J.Hazlewood
A.Zampa
M.Kuhnemann

Certainly not short on bowling options.

Some notable omissions : Cummins, Starc, Head (being rested I'm assuming).

Where do the likes of Fraser-McGuirk, Smith, Stoinis, Bartlett and Agar fit in ?

 

[corbies]

Mitchell Owen T20s

at Bellerive Oval: 9 matches, 352 runs @ 50.29, strike rate 200.00.

Not at Bellerive Oval: 27 matches, 295 runs @ 14.04, strike rate 165.73.

I do harbour some concerns about his international quality. Bellerive with its boundary dimensions and a pitch that is hard to bowl spin on suits his game perfectly. Outside of that I think there are still big question marks.

 

[big_e]

Selectors do love their shiny new toys, don't they?

 

[BGman]

M.Marsh (c)
M.Short
J.Inglis
C.Green
A.Hardie
C.Connolly
M.Owen
G.Maxwell
T.David
S.Abbott
B.Dwarshuis
N.Ellis
S.Johnson
J.Hazlewood
A.Zampa
M.Kuhnemann

Mitch Owen with his first international tour. Stoinis gone and with the the next T20 WC prob the last for Hazlewood, Starc, Zampa, Maxwell, Abbott, then I can see this being our future T20 side. Dwarhuis and Inglis getting a bit long in the tooth too, so adding Philippe, Konstas and Dixon, plus quicks Beardman, Anderson, Vidler.

Kuhnemann copping some over the top special treatment from George and Mac. Perhaps our future Test spinner but after Zamps retires isnt fellow leggie Tanveer Sangha his T20 successor?

 

[Juddernaut08]

India seem to play about double the amount of games as anyone else + have more money and interest domestically than anyone else.

In a knockout comp, anything can happen but they'd have to be heavy favourites to go all the way.

 

[Cleavy]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/canada-become-13th-team-to-qualify-for-t20-world-cup-2026-1491260

Canada have qualified

 

[Cleavy]

19 games within the next 7 months :
5 v WI (A)
3 v SA (H)
3 v NZ (A)
5 v Ind (H)
3 v Pak (A)
T20 World Cup

time to get the team right with preparations for the world cup

squad for west indies:

M.Marsh (c)
M.Short
J.Inglis
C.Green
A.Hardie
C.Connolly
M.Owen
G.Maxwell
T.David
S.Abbott
B.Dwarshuis
N.Ellis
S.Johnson
J.Hazlewood
A.Zampa
M.Kuhnemann

Certainly not short on bowling options.

Some notable omissions : Cummins, Starc, Head (being rested I'm assuming).

Where do the likes of Fraser-McGuirk, Smith, Stoinis, Bartlett and Agar fit in ?

Barlett and Fraser-McGuirk into the squad and Hazlewood (rested) and Johnson (injured) out

 

[cricketnut14]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/canada-become-13th-team-to-qualify-for-t20-world-cup-2026-1491260

Canada have qualified

so have the netherlands and italy

5 spots remaining

 

[Cleavy]

Mitch Owen debuting for Australia tomorrow.

Owen confirmed for Aussie T20 debut in Windies series opener | cricket.com.au

Hobart Hurricanes star to receive Australia T20 cap No.112 in series opener against West Indies

www.cricket.com.au

 

[Westend]

Mitch Owen debuting for Australia tomorrow.

Owen confirmed for Aussie T20 debut in Windies series opener | cricket.com.au

Hobart Hurricanes star to receive Australia T20 cap No.112 in series opener against West Indies

www.cricket.com.au

Team names Fraser in for short who has a side strain sent home

Mitch
Fraser
Inglis
Green
Maxwell
Owen
Connoly
Dwars
Abboot
Ellis
Zamps

 

[Cleavy]

I hope that isn't the batting order.

 

[Westend]

I hope that isn't the batting order.

I think it is why what’s wrong with it ?

 

[Cleavy]

I think it is why what’s wrong with it ?

Owen should be opening

 

[jb04]

Owen should be opening

If you only read half of the squad list, he is!

Australia's glut of Mitch's continues for another decade. They should have added Sweppo into the squad just to antagonise people like me.

 

[cricketnut14]

5-0 v West Indies.

14 matches to play prior to the world cup.

how are we looking? i think we've won 80+% of matches since the last WC.

were the west indies just poor?


there will be 9 spots for our top 7 bats:
current squad had: marsh, maxwell, inglis, green, david, owen, hardie, JFM and connolly.
surely head will come back.
where does it leave short, smith, stoinis, and carey (will they even take a 2nd keeper?)- would be a tight squeeze.

bowlers, there will be 6 spots
if cummins, starc, hazlewood and zampa are in, it'll leave the squeeze for 2 spots from dwashius, abbott, ellis, johnson, kuhnemann.

more will unfold in a fortnight when we host South Africa.

 

[Cleavy]

5-0 v West Indies.

14 matches to play prior to the world cup.

how are we looking? i think we've won 80+% of matches since the last WC.

were the west indies just poor?


there will be 9 spots for our top 7 bats:
current squad had: marsh, maxwell, inglis, green, david, owen, hardie, JFM and connolly.
surely head will come back.
where does it leave short, smith, stoinis, and carey (will they even take a 2nd keeper?)- would be a tight squeeze.

bowlers, there will be 6 spots
if cummins, starc, hazlewood and zampa are in, it'll leave the squeeze for 2 spots from dwashius, abbott, ellis, johnson, kuhnemann.

more will unfold in a fortnight when we host South Africa.

Short is way ahead of Connolly in all aspects

 

[Westend]

5-0 v West Indies.

14 matches to play prior to the world cup.

how are we looking? i think we've won 80+% of matches since the last WC.

were the west indies just poor?


there will be 9 spots for our top 7 bats:
current squad had: marsh, maxwell, inglis, green, david, owen, hardie, JFM and connolly.
surely head will come back.
where does it leave short, smith, stoinis, and carey (will they even take a 2nd keeper?)- would be a tight squeeze.

bowlers, there will be 6 spots
if cummins, starc, hazlewood and zampa are in, it'll leave the squeeze for 2 spots from dwashius, abbott, ellis, johnson, kuhnemann.

more will unfold in a fortnight when we host South Africa.

Head will come back to open ...maxi go back down to take Connolly spot..Connolly JFM go out ....head short to take there two spots

Bowlers.......Ellis I think is a lock...Dwars Johnson Kuna fighting for the 2nd spot

will learn more against the Saffers

 

[cricketnut14]

squad v South Africa

M.Marsh
T.Head - IN
M.Short - IN
J.Inglis
C.Green
G.Maxwell
T.David
M.Owen

B.Dwarshius
S.Abbott
N.Ellis
J.Hazlewood - IN

A.Zampa
M.Kuhnemann

Out: Fraser-McGurk, Hardie, Connolly, Bartlett

 

[Cleavy]

squad v South Africa

M.Marsh
T.Head - IN
M.Short - IN
J.Inglis
C.Green
G.Maxwell
T.David
M.Owen

B.Dwarshius
S.Abbott
N.Ellis
J.Hazlewood - IN

A.Zampa
M.Kuhnemann

Out: Fraser-McGurk, Hardie, Connolly, Bartlett

since we're getting games into Dwarshius, presumably he has jumped ahead of Spencer Johnson in the queue

 

[big_e]

since we're getting games into Dwarshius, presumably he has jumped ahead of Spencer Johnson in the queue

Johnson was pulled from the squad for the Caribbean series because he was "nursing back soreness", according to Cricinfo.

 

[Cleavy]

‘Always been my highest priority’: Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc announces T20I retirement

‘Always been my highest priority’: Starc announces shock retirement months out from World Cup

www.foxsports.com.au

no more Starc in T20Is

 

[Cleavy]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/marcus-stoinis-gets-chance-to-make-his-t20-world-cup-bid-1501051

oh no, and now Stoinis is back

 

[cricketnut14]

19 selected in the squad throughout the series against India.

basically last chance to press for world cup selection as there will only be BBL left and 3 games v Pakistan , a week before the WC starts (i'd say it'd be the final squad who will be selected and effectively use these as warm up matches).


M.Marsh (c)
T.Head
M.Short
J.Inglis
J.Philippe
B.McDermott
T.David
G.Maxwell*
M.Owen
M.Stoinis
S.Abbott*
X.Bartlett
N.Ellis
B.Dwarshius*
J.Hazlewood*
M.Beardman*
A.Zampa
M.Kuhneman
T.Sangha

*Not there for all 5 games (either joining late or leaving early)

Anyone else in the mix for WC selection?

Quicks: Does Cummins squeeze in? Spencer Johnson (inj?)
Spinners: Looks like we are set as Agar is now down the pecking order
Wicketkeepers: Looks like they prefer Philippe over Carey as the reserve
Allrounder types: Green a lock? Connolly and Hardie have had opportunities
Batters: JFM well down the pecking order and Smith won't have played for 2 years

Unless there's a bolter it appears Green and Cummins the only ones likely to come in for the World Cup.

 

[Cleavy]

here's the groups!

Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

Australia's 2026 T20 World Cup Group B fixtures

February 11: v Ireland, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (8.30pm AEDT)

February 13: v Zimbabwe, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (4.30pm AEDT)

February 16: v Sri Lanka, Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy (Feb 17, 12.30am AEDT)

February 20: v Oman, Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy (Feb 21, 12.30am AEDT)

 

[ExchangeStatMan]

Interesting to note the seeds have already been determined for the Super 8 stages

If all the seeds progress to the Super 8s


Group 1 Will be:
India, Australia, West Indies, South Africa
All games in Group 1 will be played in India

Group 2 Will be:
England, NZ, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
All games in Group 2 will be played in Sri Lanka