Marsh to captain T20Is against West Indies with Warner named

Mitchell Marsh is firming as Australia's likely captain for the T20 World Cup after being named to take the reins for a three-match T20I series against West Indies.

David Warner, Tim David and Marcus Stoinis have all been included and will need to return home from their franchise duties early while Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Steven Smith have been rested with Cricket Australia stating that all three will likely be included in the squad for the T20I series in New Zealand in late February.

The selectors are yet to confirm who will be Australia's permanent T20I captain having not made a formal decision after Aaron Finch retired following the 2022 T20 World Cup. Australia have only played two T20I series since then with Marsh leading an inexperienced team to a 3-0 triumph in South Africa before Matthew Wade took charge of a depleted team in India after the ODI World Cup triumph.

Coach Andrew McDonald was absent for both of those series, with assistant coach Michael Di Venuto standing in for the South Africa series when Marsh was captain. McDonald is also not coaching the West Indies series with Daniel Vettori taking charge although he may be present for one of the matches in Hobart. Chairman of selectors George Bailey confirmed that a decision on the permanent captain will not be made until after the New Zealand series when McDonald and Marsh will likely get to work together.

"I think we will make a decision about that post the New Zealand series," Bailey said. "New Zealand will be the time when Andrew jumps back in so it's a good chance to see how those two work together. Confident that'll work, but we just haven't seen it yet. That's the way that's tracking. Mitch will obviously get the opportunity here and likely to get the opportunity in New Zealand as well."

Marsh will captain on home soil for the first time and will have a very strong squad to work with. Smith will rest from the T20I series after captaining the ODI team in the three-match series against West Indies in the week before the T20Is but has stated that he expects to be in the squad for the New Zealand T20I series.

"I want to be a part of it, as anyone would, I suppose," Smith said on Wednesday. "I've had a few opportunities to open and obviously did it well in the Big Bash. It's different to international cricket, I know, but I haven't had a huge opportunity there. I'd certainly be interested, but we'll wait and see."

Bailey confirmed that Smith was being rested and would return for New Zealand.

"It's an opportunity for him to just have a really small break," Bailey said. "He's likely to return for that New Zealand series in some capacity, so he'll continue to get opportunities."

Cummins and Starc are resting from all of the West Indies limited-overs matches after playing every home Test during the summer. Both are expected to play in the T20Is in New Zealand and two Test matches on the same tour but the selectors are mindful of their IPL workload thereafter ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Josh Hazlewood has been included in the T20I squad to face West Indies despite resting from the ODIs. Hazlewood does not have an IPL deal and the six matches against West Indies and New Zealand will be his only chance to play the format before the World Cup.

Warner has been recalled from the ILT20 as was long forecast by the selectors. David will also leave the ILT20 early while Stoinis will leave the SA20 early having been left out of the ODI squad after discussions with the selectors. All three will be required back in Australia on February 7 with the first match of the series to be played in Hobart on February 9.

Glenn Maxwell, David, Stoinis and the two wicketkeeper-batters Wade and Josh Inglis will form the backbone of Australia's middle-order at the World Cup. Bailey said no decision had been made on who would be the first-choice wicketkeeper at the World Cup but did suggest Wade was a vital cog at No.7.

"I think Wadey has done a phenomenal job in that position across a long period of time and I thought he was wonderful in India post the World Cup in those five games, led the side really well, kept well," Bailey said. "I continue to think that five, six, seven, those roles in that T20 side are the most challenging but really, really important.

"I think we're seeing that become a highly specialized and a highly skilled position.

"I think Wadey's held that No.7 spot down really, really well. But not taking away some of the work that Ingo has done with the bat as well and it's not to say that both of them can't play in the same team."

Matthew Short has also been included in the squad and has a chance to be part of the World Cup given his form and skillset as a powerful, flexible batting option and a part-time offspinner.

Travis Head is likely to open alongside Warner as they did in the ODI World Cup but Short could slot in at the top as well. Bailey did suggest Australia would trial several combinations over the next six games.

Australia have only named one spinner in Adam Zampa with Maxwell, Head and Short to provide spin overs as well. Australia looks likely to go to the T20 World Cup with just one specialist spinner in the XI again after winning the 2021 T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup last year with Zampa, Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood as the four specialist bowlers.

But Bailey said they would likely take a second spinner in the squad to the World Cup later in the year. They just didn't need to pick one in Australian conditions and decided that Ashton Agar and Tanveer Sangha were better off playing state cricket.

"We didn't feel like there was going to be necessarily the opportunity for those guys to play so they get the opportunity by going back to domestic cricket," Bailey said.

"I do think come the West Indies there'll be a second spinner there without a doubt."

Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff and Nathan Ellis have been picked as the next three pacemen behind the big three and they appear to be vying for the last spot in Australia's first-choice 15 for the World Cup.

There is no room in the squad for allrounder Cameron Green. The selectors are keen for him to return to Sheffield Shield cricket after the ODI series to prepare for the Test tour of New Zealand given he is set to have a full IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore to put his name up for selection for the World Cup.

"I think he's a pretty special player in that format," Bailey said. "He's someone who's going to go to the IPL so we're going to get a really good look at him there. Just back into the Test side. He's going to get an opportunity in the ODIs as well. So for him, as it is for all the all-format players at different times, it's just balancing what the priority is.

"His focus will continue to be on preparing for the Test format knowing that he's going to get a really good block of T20 cricket in the IPL."

Australia T20I squad versus West Indies: Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa