Australia Announces Squad for the T20I Series Against West Indies

Australia has announced the T20 team for their upcoming series against West Indies. Mitchell Marsh will make a comeback to lead a strong 16-member squad. The five-match T20 series will be played in Jamaica and St. Kitts next month and will serve as the start of Australia’s preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.

There are some surprise inclusions as well as exclusions from the T20 squad. BBL final hero Mitchell Owen earns his first call-up to the national side. The all-rounder has been in huge demand since his prolific innings in the final and has been playing in international leagues since, including the PSL and IPL.

Spinner Matt Kuhnemann is also included due to his excellent form in the domestic circuit. Cameron Green and Cooper Connolly will also return after spending most of last season sidelined due to their respective injuries.

The big inclusion is that of Josh Hazlewood. The tall pacer has been in sensational form in the recently concluded IPL and was instrumental in helping RCB win their first title in 18 years. His inclusion will certainly be a huge boost for the Aussie side.

There are some surprise exclusions as well, with Jake Fraser-McGurk, Marcus Stoinis, and Xavier Bartlett failing to make the final squad. Fraser-McGurk and Stoinis failed to make any impact in the IPL for their respective franchises, while Bartlett was rarely picked in the playing XI.

Another huge miss will be the trio of Pat Cummins, Travis Head, and Mitchell Starc. All three will be part of the Test squad on the West Indies tour but will return to Australia after the conclusion of the Test series.

George Bailey, the Chief Selector of Cricket Australia, emphasized the importance of this series in light of preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup, hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

“We have a busy T20 schedule coming up through this series, followed by three against South Africa and New Zealand and five matches against India at home, as we continue to refine and build a squad we think will be the right fit for the World Cup on the subcontinent.

“There are a number of players outside the squad who can still force their way into the mix for those upcoming Indian series and through the Big Bash League. The connection, role development, and combinations we will have as options are growing nicely as we build towards the World Cup. It’s an exciting time in our T20 space.”

Australia T20I squad vs West Indies:

Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa.