T20 World Cup 2024: Australia faces player shortage for warm-up matches

Australia will face their first two T20 World Cup matches with a significantly reduced squad, as key players who were active in the IPL have been given a brief break before joining the team in the Caribbean.

For their match against Namibia on Tuesday,  Australia will have just nine players available. Adding to their challenges, captain Mitchell Marsh is not ready to bowl yet due to a hamstring injury sustained during the IPL.

Pat Cummins, Travis Head, and Mitchell Starc, who played in the IPL final on Sunday, will return to Australia briefly before joining the World Cup squad. Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green, who played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, are also spending some time at home. These five are expected to join the squad when it reaches Barbados for their first group match against Oman on June 5. Marcus Stoinis has also not yet arrived in the Caribbean.

"It's important to be flexible. Guys have been at the IPL. They've been playing a lot of cricket so we've prioritized giving them a couple of days at home, see their family, refresh and play the long game for this tournament. We'll get to our 15 eventually but it's really important that we give them a break, even if it's [just] a couple of days at home," Marsh told cricket.com.au. 

To make up for the shortage of players, Australia may need to enlist members of the coaching staff to field during the warm-up matches. Brad Hodge has joined the support staff for the tournament, while head coach Andrew McDonald, national selector George Bailey, and assistant coach Andre Borovec might also step in.

It is worth noting that while some teams have opted out of practice matches altogether, Australia’s warm-up games will be crucial for players coming from the off-season, such as Adam Zampa, Josh Inglis, Josh Hazlewood, and Ashton Agar, as well as those like Matthew Wade and Nathan Ellis, who did not play much in the IPL. David Warner, whose international career will end at the World Cup, is also coming into the tournament after a modest IPL and recovering from a hand injury.