Australia excludes Steve Smith and IPL superstar from T20 World Cup squad.

Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar has been selected to represent Australia in the upcoming T20 World Cup, despite not playing a T20I since the last tournament on home soil in 2022. The final squad also includes all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green, who earned their places despite indifferent form in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team will be captained by all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.

According to selection chair George Bailey, the squad is well-balanced and experienced, and is expected to put on a strong performance in the tournament. Bailey stated that the squad offers a variety of structures and covers the scenarios that are expected to factor in the West Indies. He expressed his satisfaction in having Ashton Agar back in the squad following a series of injuries.

Bailey highlighted the critical roles that Ashton Agar, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Cam Green, and Mitch Marsh are expected to play in complementing the team’s front-line attack options. He emphasized that the batting options available will allow for a tailored approach to each venue and opponent. Acknowledging that the squad size of 15 meant some in-form players missed out on selection, Bailey mentioned several players who were part of the selection discussions, including Steve Smith, Matt Short, Jason Behrendorff, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson, and Xavier Bartlett.

He also noted the development and impressive performance of Jake Fraser-McGurk, who is yet to play T20 international cricket.