Australia Provide Big Update On Cummins-Hazlewood's Availability For T20 World Cup

Australia selector George Bailey has said that although Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood might not be available for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Pakistan, they should be on board for the T20 World Cup, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka.

Australia are willing to take a long-term approach with Cummins at the T20 World Cup, remaining open to managing him through the early stages of the tournament if it permits him to make a greater impact later on.

The approach mirrors the strategy adopted with Travis Head at the 2023 World Cup, where he returned later in the tournament, starred in the final in Ahmedabad and guided Australia to their sixth title.

Cummins, along with Hazlewood and Tim David, has been named in Australia’s provisional

T20 World Cup team, subject to fitness.

While Hazlewood is recovering from an Achilles problem and the latter from a hamstring injury, Cummins has been rested since his lone Ashes Test appearance in Adelaide as he manages a lumbar stress injury.

“I don’t think they [Cummins and Hazlewood] will be available for the Pakistan series [three T20Is in January], but I think both should be online [for the World Cup],” Bailey said while speaking to the media ahead of the Sydney Test.

“Patty might be a bit later; that might be a similar sort of situation to Travis Head in the 50-over World Cup, where there is an entry point at some point. Hopefully, we can manage and carry a squad until that point,” Bailey added.

The former cricketer acknowledged that the viability of a plan involving Cummins returning during the Super 8s would hinge on Australia’s results in the early stages of the tournament.

“You might get pushed into a corner where you cannot and you might need to make adjustments in the squad. We were close to that, having to be the case with Travis (during the 2023 Cricket World Cup),” Bailey said.