Australia are sweating over the injuries of key players.
Australia have three major injury concerns ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, with Pat Cummins (back), Josh Hazlewood (Achilles), and Tim David (hamstring) on the sidelines. While they all have been selected for the global event, their availabilities are uncertain, even though the team hopes they will recover in time.
Amidst heavy speculation, chief selector George Bailey has clarified the availability of the three players and the number of matches they are set to play at the T20 World Cup. Speaking to the reporters at the SCG, Bailey said Josh Hazlewood and Tim David might feature from the start; Pat Cummins will play a role later, even though none of them will be available for the Pakistan series preceding the event.
“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]. 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’s an entry point at some point. Hopefully, we can manage and carry a squad until that point. I think Hoff [Hazlewood] should be right by the start, think Tim David should be right by the start.”
In the 2023 World Cup, Head played only six games but was instrumental in helping Australia win the tournament, with Player of the Match performances in the semifinal and final. They hope Cummins can play a similar role in the T20 version, at venues where he has ample experience from IPL and previous India tours.
With Mitchell Starc retired, Australia need Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to bring their experience and high skill sets in the T20 World Cup 2026. Obviously, they have Nathan Ellis, who is equally good, but Cummins and Hazlewood bring high new-ball value.
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In fact, Hazlewood is among the finest white-ball bowlers in world cricket, and his recent improvement, as visible in IPL 2025, makes him Australia’s best bowler for the tournament. Cummins can have issues in death overs, but his skills are still too high, and he can operate effectively in the powerplay and middle overs.
Meanwhile, Tim David is among the best T20 batters at the moment, and he has recently started playing a new middle-order role for Australia. That has made Australia more flexible and allowed them to play more all-rounders in the lineup to give themselves more options in both batting and bowling departments.
Even in general, David’s pace game is formidable, and his improved consistency has made him an asset for a T20 side, especially on good Indian pitches. Essentially, all three are vital for Australia’s chances, and they are sure starters in the XI, making their availability all the more crucial for the Aussies.
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