Australia have added Sean Abbott to their World Cup squad as a travelling reserve, as Josh Hazlewood is likely to miss the early stages of the T20 World Cup, which begins later this week.
Hazlewood was ruled out of the start of the Ashes series with a hamstring strain and then picked up an Achilles problem during his rehabilitation. Despite nursing an injury, the fast bowler made the cut, as he was expected to recover in time for the World Cup. Cricket Australia has not provided a timeframe for when Hazlewood will join the squad in Sri Lanka. As Nathan Ellis is also returning from injury, Abbott has been added as bowling cover.
“We felt that, with Josh, it was more practical and beneficial for him to continue his rehabilitation at home in a familiar environment before travelling to Sri Lanka,” selector Tony Dodemaide said. “With Nathan also completing his return to play, we decided to bring Sean with us as fast-bowling cover, should anything arise at short notice.”
Abbott was part of the Australia squad that lost the three-match series against Pakistan in Lahore.
“Sean is an accomplished and versatile international player who has experienced numerous World Cup campaigns. It made sense for him to stay with the group following the Pakistan tour,” added Dodemaide.
Earlier, Pat Cummins was ruled out after failing to recover from a back injury, paving the way for Ben Dwarshuis.
Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026:
Mitchell Marsh (capt), 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, Sean Abbott (travelling reserve)
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