Australia's key players to skip T20 World Cup warm-up matches due to IPL

Australia is gearing up for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 with warm-up matches against Namibia and West Indies next week. However, their preparations face a setback as several key players are still committed to the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs.

Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell will be absent from the initial phase of the warm-up matches. These players are scheduled to join the squad in Barbados ahead of Australia's first World Cup match against Oman on June 5.

With the IPL final set for May 26 in Chennai, up to four of these players, and at least one, are expected to be involved in the final.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald explained that the players participating in the IPL finals will have a "staggered entry" to the national squad. 

"They'll have a staggered entry now that they've made the finals – they'll meet us in Barbados, and the guys who aren't in the IPL finals, will meet us in Trinidad," McDonald said.

The coach further elaborates on the team's preparation strategy, emphasizing the need to "tailor the best individual preparation" for each player.

We're just trying to tailor the best individual preparation and bring it together as a team when we get to Barbados, then we have four or five days there leading into the first game against Oman," he further added.

Furthermore, according to McDonald. Mitchell Marsh is unlikely to bowl in the practice matches as he is recovering from a hamstring injury.

It is worth noting that Australia will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against Oman in Barbados on June 5, followed by Group B matches against England, Namibia, and Scotland.