T20 World Cup 2024: Australia make captaincy switch as Mitchell Marsh takes role from Pat Cummins

Australia has named their squad for this month’s T20 series with New Zealand – and given a big hint at a major question facing the squad leading into this year’s World Cup.

Mitch Marsh is all but locked in as Australia’s Twenty20 captain for this year’s World Cup after holding his leadership position despite the return of Pat Cummins to the T20 setup.

Marsh, 32, led the Aussies during last year’s tour of South Africa and will resume the captaincy role against the West Indies later this week.

Cummins and several of Australia’s other senior players are being rested for that series, however Cricket Australia confirmed on Tuesday that Cummins, Travis Head, Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith would rejoin the squad for the three T20s in New Zealand that precede the two-Test series beginning in late February.

That reigning Allan Border Medallist Marsh has held the leadership spot ahead of Cummins indicates he will captain Australia at the World Cup, being held in the Caribbean and US in June.

Mitch Marsh (L) will keep the T20 captaincy despite the return of Pat Cummins. Picture: Getty

There were few other surprises in the squad, although T20 player of the year Jason Behrendorff and one-day World Cup winner Sean Abbott have both been pipped by paceman Nathan Ellis, who remains under an injury cloud for the Windies T20s.

Spencer Johnson is on standby for those matches, while Matt Short has been pulled from the squad for the Windies ODIs after his hamstring injury on Sunday.

Travis Head is one of the quartet of Test stars joining the squad. Picture: Getty

Aaron Hardie has replaced Short for the Windies matches but Short is expected to be available for the games against the Black Caps.

“Travis, Pat, Mitchell and Steve rejoin the squad following the series against the West Indies with Jason Behrendorff and Sean Abbott amongst the standby players from those playing the upcoming T20s,” said national selection chair George Bailey.

“The next six games will provide us the opportunity to start shaping what we think our World Cup squad will look like and potential roles within that.

“We will also fully utilise the opportunity to monitor and watch the performances of the Australian players in the IPL immediately preceding the World Cup.”

AUSTRALIA SQUAD FOR T20 TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND

Mitchell Marsh (c), Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Originally published as T20 World Cup 2024: Australia make captaincy switch as Mitchell Marsh takes role from Pat Cummins