Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been a great servant of Australian cricket, especially in the shortest format of the game. Meeting the demands of the Australian selectors, he has now been picked as a backup wicket-keeper to Josh Inglis in the squad for the ICC T20 World Cup.
Australia revealed their 15-member squad for the ICC T20 World Cup today, on the 1st of January. Several shocking inclusions have been made by the chief selector George Bailey, and he has reasoned accordingly.
The Chief selector, though, has informed that this is a preliminary squad and many changes can be made before the start of the actual tournament. Another squad for the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan shall also be one to look at, as it would be Australia’s final T20 appearance before entering the ICC event.
Glenn Maxwell named backup wicket-keeper for Australia
Australia have made shocking player announcements, as selector George Bailey has not included a backup wicket-keeper in the Australia Playing XI. Someone like Josh Phillippe was included in the squad for the series against India and is having a very promising season with the bat for the Sydney Sixers.
However, Australian masterminds have instead opted for Glenn Maxwell, the veteran all-rounder, as the option to keep wickets in case Josh Inglis gets ruled out due to some injury. However, as of now, it is a notion that Glenn Maxwell will be doing the job under such circumstances.
However, it is worth noting that Glenn Maxwell has never kept wickets on a permanent basis during his international career and had taken the gloves on back during some charity games during the early days of his career. But he did keep wickets for small durations during international games earlier. Hence, this would be a huge gamble to play for the Aussies.
Why is Mitchell Marsh named captain despite Pat Cummins’ presence in the squad?
Veteran speedster Pat Cummins has returned to the T20I setup. Though initially injured over a long phase, selector Bailey has kept faith in the paceman and is convinced by his current phase of recovery. Cummins also played the Third Ashes at Adelaide; however, it is certain that he has not recovered fully yet.
In Cummins’ absence, Mitchell Marsh has always served as Australia’s stand-in skipper across limited-overs cricket. Marsh has hence been awarded for his grit and his timely presence. Marking Australia’s commendable record in T20s under his leadership, Mitchell Marsh has been named the skipper of the T20 World Cup squad, despite Pat Cummins’ presence.
Pat Cummins has not played a single T20 match since the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup group-8 match against India.
Australia rely on spin-favouring squad for the World Cup in the sub-continent
Australia have kept in mind that the subcontinent tracks will pick up the squad for the World Cup. The squad includes a total of five handy spinners who can be the backbone of Australia’s attack when paired alongside the pacers, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, and Xavier Bartlett.
Among spinners, Cooper Connolly and Matthew Kuhnemann are among the frontline spin bowling all-rounders, while veteran spinner Adam Zampa will be the leggie in the side. Matt Short and Glenn Maxwell are among two other spinners who are more than part-timers, especially on spin-favouring tracks.