Australia’s Josh Hazlewood to miss early T20 World Cup 2026 matches

Australia’s fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will miss the initial stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 due to injury, with Sean Abbott added to the squad as a traveling reserve.

Josh Hazlewood (Image | Cricket.com.au)

The Australian cricket team has suffered a huge loss as pacer Josh Hazlewood is likely to miss the first few games of the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. After Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have been ruled out due to injury, Hazlewood's injury is looking quite concerning in the Australian camp.

As revealed by selector Tony Dodemaide, he will be continuing his rehabilitation in Australia and once his recovery takes a positive note, he is expected to travel to Sri Lanka to play the tournament. Australia's fast bowling attack looks inexperienced ahead of the tournament. The Men in Yellow are known for dominating ICC events with the presence of their talented bowlers. In their absence, the opponents might get a solid advantage.

"We felt with Josh it was more practical and beneficial for him to continue his rehabilitation at home in a familiar environment before travelling to Sri Lanka. With Nathan also completing his return to play, we decided to bring Sean with us as fast bowling cover should anything come up at short notice," said selector Tony Dodemaide as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

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"Sean is an accomplished and versatile international player who has experienced numerous World Cup campaigns. It made sense for him to stay with the group following the Pakistan tour," he added.

Sean Abbott named reserve for T20 World Cup 2026

Since Josh Hazlewood is unlikely to travel to Sri Lanka for the first few games, Australia have named Sean Abbott as a reserve. He is a young, talented pacer, who has some amount of experience in the format. Australia still have Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Camron Green, and other players who can roll their arms during the tournament. However, the void of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins is likely to remain, considering their experience.

Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott (travelling reserve).

Where to watch ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 matches?

Cricket fans in India can watch the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 matches from February 7 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.

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