Australia shuffle squad for Windies T20Is, Hazlewood out
Cricket
Johnson is sidelined with lingering back injury, Hazlewood has returned to prepare for SAfrica Tests
MELBOURNE (Web Desk) - Australia have made two key changes to their 16-man squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against the West Indies, bringing in Jake Fraser-McGurk and Xavier Bartlett in place of Josh Hazlewood and Spencer Johnson.
Johnson is sidelined with a lingering back injury, while Hazlewood has returned home to prepare for the forthcoming red-ball series against South Africa.
Fraser-McGurk, known for his explosive batting in franchise leagues, is looking to make his mark after being left out of Australia’s central contract list. Bartlett, on the other hand, continues his upward trajectory as a dependable pace option.
The series begins on July 21 with the first two matches set for Kingston, Jamaica, followed by three T20Is in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.
Skipper Mitchell Marsh leads a side in red-hot form, with Australia having won 12 of their last 14 T20Is. The tour is seen as key preparation for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Senior players including Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Travis Head will return home after completing the ongoing Test series in the Caribbean.
Australia T20I squad vs West Indies:
Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Josh Inglis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa.
