Mitchell Marsh has been appointed as the captain of the Australian T20 World Cup squad, a position he has been fulfilling on an interim basis since the retirement of Aaron Finch last year. The confirmation of Marsh's captaincy comes with the notable absence of veteran Steve Smith and emerging talent Jake Fraser-McGurk from the squad.

Smith's omission marks the first time since 2012 that he will miss a World Cup in the limited-overs formats.

Fraser-McGurk's exclusion from the squad comes despite his impressive performance in the Indian Premier League, where he boasted a strike rate of 233.33 for the Delhi Capitals. The selectors opted to retain Travis Head and David Warner in the squad, prioritising experience and stability in the lineup.

With Marsh leading the team, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is expected to bat at No. 4, while Tim David is likely to assume the finisher role lower down the order, providing depth to the batting lineup.

Marsh's appointment as captain signals a new era for the Australian T20 team, as they aim to make a strong impression in the upcoming tournament in the United States and the Caribbean. With key players like Maxwell and Warner in form, along with promising talents like Head and David, Australia will be looking to marshal their resources effectively under Marsh's leadership to mount a formidable challenge for the T20 World Cup title.

“The batting options available allow a tailored approach to each venue and opponent,” Australia's chief selector George Bailey said in a statement. "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.”

Matt Wade and Josh Inglis were picked as wicketkeepers and Ashton Agar returns to the squad as a second spinning option to Adam Zampa.

The regular pace bowling trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will have support from Nathan Ellis as well as allrounders Cameron Green, Marsh and Marcus Stoinis.

Australia, the 2021 T20 World Cup champions, will open against Oman at Barbados on June 6. The Australians are the defending champions in the ICC's World Test Championship and in the 50-over World Cup.

Australia squad:

Mitchell Marsh (captain), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matt Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

(With inputs from AP)

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