(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Mitchell Marsh has been named as the full-time captain of Australia's T20 squad, with both seasoned Steve Smith and budding talent Jake Fraser-McGurk omitted from the preliminary 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. This marks the first time in a decade that Smith, a former captain and stalwart batsman for Australia, has not been included in a World Cup squad.
Despite expressing a desire to open in the tournament, Smith finds himself on the sidelines as the selectors opted for Travis Head, David Warner, and Marsh at the top of the order. Smith's absence from the IPL also played a role in his exclusion.
Furthermore, while Smith's prowess is undeniable in Test and ODI cricket, his T20 record falls short compared to some of the world's best in the format. With 1094 runs from 67 T20I matches at an average of 24.86 and a strike rate of 125.45, Smith's statistics in T20s don't quite match up to his performances in other formats.
Despite his impressive performance in the ongoing IPL, where he amassed 247 runs in five matches for the Delhi Capitals at a remarkable strike rate of 237.50, 22-year-old Fraser-McGurk has been overlooked for selection in the T20 World Cup squad. This decision comes as a surprise given his recent form.
In his place, the selectors have opted for all-rounder Cameron Green and wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis. Green's inclusion provides support for the injury-prone Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, while Inglis will serve as the backup wicketkeeper for the squad.
"Steve Smith, Matt Short, Jason Behrendorff, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett were all part of long conversations, along with several others, including Jake Fraser-McGurk who is yet to play T20 International cricket but continues to impress and is developing rapidly. Being constrained to a squad of 15 for World Cups is always a challenge given the different scenarios and options we'd like to cover," selection chair George Bailey said.
After a year of serving as the interim captain of the T20I squad, 32-year-old Marsh has now been officially appointed as the full-time skipper in the shortest format of the game.
"It's been an immense privilege to play for my country and now an even greater honour to lead the squad to a World Cup. We have had some strong success in recent times and I am hopeful that will continue in what looks like a wide-open tournament," said Marsh.
Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar has earned a recall to the T20I squad, despite his last appearance in the format dating back to October 2022. Alongside him, all-round options in Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, and Cameron Green have been included in the final squad, joining Glenn Maxwell to bolster Australia's all-round capabilities.
"It's great to have Ashton Agar back into the squad following a spate of unfortunate and untimely injuries," Bailey said.
"We believe Ashton can play a critical role in this tournament along with Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Cam Green and Mitch Marsh in complementing our front-line attack options.
The batting options available allow a tailored approach to each venue and opponent," he added.
Australia's T20 World Cup 2024 Squad:
Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
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