Australia names a spin-heavy squad of 15 players for the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India

Australian selectors have named a spin-heavy squad for the defending champions for the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India.

The 2021 tournament winners decided Thursday not to pick a left-arm paceman in the absence of the T20-retired Mitchell Starc. Cooper Connolly, who has not played in any of the Australians’ past 12 T20 Internationals, was the surprise inclusion.

Starc has missed just one of the past six ICC’s T20 events but retired from the format at the international level late last year.

Australia opens the tournament on Feb. 11 against Ireland in Colombo then plays Zimbabwe in Colombo on Feb. 13, followed by matches in Kandy against Sri Lanka on Feb. 16 and Oman on Feb. 20.

A scan on Pat Cummins’ back later this month will determine whether he will play in the tournament. Josh Hazlewood and Tim David are both on the comeback trail from hamstring injuries.

ICC rules permit squad changes until Jan. 31.

Australia will play a three-match T20 series against Pakistan beginning later this month. Australia’s group-stage matches are all being played in Sri Lanka but the team will travel to India for at least some of their Super Eights games if they qualify.

___ Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa. (AP) DDV