Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood Might Feature For IPL 2026, Asserts Selectors

Australia selectors said injuries to Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were a matter of timing, not priority, after the team’s early T20 World Cup exit.

Australia supporters may feel frustrated if Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins return fit for the IPL after missing the disastrous T20 World Cup campaign. However, selectors insisted the situation was purely about timing.

Australia crashed out in the group stage and will conduct a full review after returning home. Hazlewood and Cummins were major losses before the tournament began. Hazlewood continues to battle Achilles and calf issues after first suffering a hamstring injury on November 12.

Cummins has not played since the third Ashes Test in mid-December, where he took six wickets across two innings to seal a 3-0 series win. He was later rested due to a lumbar stress issue but was eventually withdrawn from the World Cup squad.

Despite limited action in three months, both are expected to be fit for the IPL, barring setbacks. “It is what it is,” selector Tony Dodemaide told reporters on Wednesday. “It’s a timing issue. If it was in reverse, the IPL was first and the World Cup was second, then they’d be missing the IPL to play in the World Cup.

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“It’s not going to be frustrating for us at all. We know their commitment to want to play and succeed for Australia.” Australia managed just four wickets in losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, all taken by Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green.

Selectors also clarified that Steven Smith remains a back-up opener in T20Is. He was flown in late as cover for Mitchell Marsh and later replaced Hazlewood in the squad but did not feature against Sri Lanka.

“As we’ve said before, we see him [Smith] primarily at the top, and that’s where he’s coming into the squad for cover of that area,” Dodemaide said. “He was only really available for game three, which was the game that we had our best performed pairing, which is Bison [Mitch Marsh] and Heady [Travis Head], did extremely well.”