Eight stars axed, huge bolter in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad

Australia has made dramatic changes to its squad for the Twenty20 World Cup with selectors gambling on a shock inclusion.

Australian T20 captain Aaron Finch is hoping to lift the World Cup. Picture: Randy Brooks / AFP

Australian selectors are comfortable to put their faith in Indian Premier League franchises picking players for crucial T20 World Cup preparation as several stars prepare to come out of cricket hibernation.

West Australian Josh Inglis, who has starred in the Big Bash and is the leading run-scorer in the Vitality Blast T20 tournament in England, was the bolter in the 15-man squad which didn’t include eight players from the group which lost eight of 10 T20s in the West Indies and Bangladesh.

Selection boss George Bailey confirmed Inglis, a keeper-batsman who smashed 531 runs from 14 games at a strike rate of 175.82 with Leicestershire, had been on their radar “for some time” but Matthew Wade remained their number one gloveman.

RELATED: Josh Inglis could be answer to T20 woes

Star batsman Steve Smith was also included as he recovers from an elbow injury which has progressed to the point where he is hitting 100 balls a day “without discomfort” according to Bailey.

Smith, along with David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, who were all named in the World Cup squad, will do their main preparation when the IPL resumes in October, their first cricket since the tournament was postponed in April,

Bailey said he had “faith” the IPL teams would pick the Aussies, even though Warner was dumped as captain and dropped from the Sunrisers team earlier this year.

With other official warm-up matches scheduled, the IPL matches could be their only World Cup preparation

“I have full faith the IPL is a good prep. Throw a bit of faith in the franchises that they’ll pick the players so they are getting those games,” Bailey said.

“But it’s an experienced T20 list, I don’t think in terms of not having played T20 cricket for a long period of time it will affect them.”

Star fast bowler Pat Cummins isn’t returning to the IPL, while Australian captain Aaron Finch is looking at an eight-week recover from knee surgery. Bailey said the captain was “tracking well” and would be ready.

Josh Inglis is the bolter in the Australian squad. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Moises Henriques, Andrew Tye, Josh Philippe, Alex Carey, Ben McDermott, Jason Behrendorff and Ashton Turner were all left out after failing against the Windies in Bangladesh earlier this month.

But Bailey said the future of Carey, who captained the ODI side in the West Indies in Finch’s absence, was not dire despite his axing.

“It‘s just based on performances and I want to be really distinct in separating one-day cricket and T20 here,” Bailey said.

“Even on this most recent tour his one-day cricket has been fantastic.

“We see him playing a lot more games of cricket for Australia and having a really big role in the culture of the team and the leadership of the team going forward.”

Alex Carey battled in the T20s in Bangladesh (Photo by Munir Uz zaman / AFP)

But Inglis has leapfrogged both Carey and Philippe to win a spot as the back-up gloveman to Wade on the back of recent strong performances.

“I fully appreciate the bolter look about it but he‘s certainly someone we’ve had our eye on for some time,“ Bailey said.

“His performances in not just T20 but all three formats have been really impressive.

“In terms of guys who have batted at the top and shifted into the middle, his transformation into a middle-order player last year for the Scorchers was seamless.”

Selectors chose three specialist spinners, including Queenslander Mitchell Swepson alongside Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa.

Tasmanian Nathan Ellis, who completed a hat-trick on debut against Bangladesh, all-rounder Daniel Sams and veteran Dan Christian have been named travelling reserves.

The squad is due to depart for the UAE in late September or early October.

Australia’s T20 World Cup squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams