Even as Pat Cummins & Co. took the field against New Zealand in match 27 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Saturday, Australian selectors named a 15-player squad for the upcoming T20 International series against India. Matthew Wade will lead the side that includes David Warner, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa. The five-match series commences in Visakhapatnam on November 23. (AUS Vs NZ Blog | Scorecard | Streaming | Full Coverage)
Other World Cup squad members Josh Inglis and Sean Abbott, and travelling reserve Tanveer Sangha will also stay back in India after the completion of the tournament. Tim David, Matt Short and Nathan Ellis -- all with Indian Premier League (IPL) experience -- will join the team. However, Test and ODI skipper Cummins will return home after the World Cup to prepare for Australia's home Test series against Pakistan and the West Indies.
The first Test between Australia and Pakistan in Perth is scheduled to start just 11 days after the final India vs Australia T20I in Hyderabad on December 3. And the T20I series in India starts four days after the conclusion of the World Cup. Australia, the five-time champions, started the 2023 campaign rather sluggishly, losing to India and South Africa, but they have since won three matches on the trot, showing ominous form as the league stage enters the decisive second part. The ODI World Cup ends on November 19.
Other big-name players who will miss the T20I series in India are: Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green. But George Bailey, the selection chair, said that they are pleased with the mix of experience and youth in the squad chosen. The Aussie squad for the India T20I series doesn't have any uncapped players.
"It’s an experienced squad with a mixture of players who have had their first opportunity on the international stage and that we hope will continue to develop into important players in our T20 group," Bailey said. “Matthew (Wade) has captained the team previously, is a leader in the group and we look forward to him taking the reins for this series. Like Mitch Marsh in the South Africa series, this is another great opportunity to further deepen our international leadership experience and depth."
Wade was not considered for the ongoing ODI Cricket World Cup in India. The 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who took over the T20 captaincy reigns from now-retired Aaron Finch, considered his international career all but over. Instead, he has received a shot in the arm. He will now lead Australia in a high-profile series in India. Earlier, he was sharing the role with Mitchell Marsh, on an interim basis.
Australia T20I Squad: Matthew Wade (c), Jason Behrendorff, Sean Abbott, Tim David, Nathan Ellis Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
