Australia have officially added Steve Smith to their 15-man T20 World Cup squad just hours before their must-win Group B clash against Sri Lanka.
Steve Smith replaces Josh Hazlewood, who was ruled out of the tournament earlier this month due to an Achilles injury. A replacement had not been immediately named at the time of Hazlewood’s withdrawal.
The right-hander trained with the squad in Kandy on Sunday evening after arriving in Sri Lanka in recent days. He had initially joined the group as cover for opener and captain Mitch Marsh, who missed Australia’s first two matches with a testicular injury.
Marsh returned to training on Sunday and moved freely during running and fielding drills. He is pushing to make his comeback against the tournament co-hosts at Pallekele Stadium later tonight (Tuesday, 12:30am AEDT). The Australian T20 captain also batted for around 45 minutes, striking several balls out of the ground and even hitting one partway up a light tower at the venue.
ALSO READ | Riyan Parag Named The Captain Of Rajasthan Royals For IPL 2026
ICC tournament rules require any squad changes to receive approval from the Event Technical Committee before a match. Australia activated Smith in the official 15-man squad in case Marsh experiences discomfort before the game.
“ICC regulations stipulate any squad change must be submitted and activated on the day prior to a match,” on-duty selector Tony Dodemaide said. “With Steve here, along with some uncertainty around Mitch and Marcus Stoinis, it made sense he (Smith) is activated and available for selection in time for the match, if required.”
Steve Smith To Steer Form In T20 World Cup
Even if Smith does not feature in the Sri Lanka clash, his inclusion in the squad signals his place in Australia’s future T20 plans as he eyes a potential spot at the 2028 Olympics.
Smith enters the tournament after an impressive Big Bash League campaign, where he scored 299 runs at a strike rate close to 170 in six matches for Sydney Sixers. His performances included a fourth BBL century in the past four seasons.
Australia currently sit third in Group B following their defeat to Zimbabwe. Winning their remaining two group matches will give them the best chance of progressing to the Super Eight stage.
Australia Updated Squad – 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup: Mitch Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserve: Sean Abbott.
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.