The absence of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins already affected the Australia cricket team’s bowling strength ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, starting on February 7. Ahead of the tournament, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, there was another harsh update for the team: the injury of Josh Hazlewood.
With multiple major setbacks, Australia can find it really hard to sustain the grind in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, opined Aakash Chopra in his official YouTube video. The former India cricketer said that the former T20 World Cup winners could crash out of the Super Eight phase of the tournament.
Multiple prime pacers out from the T20 World Cup 2026
With Pat Cummins, Mitchell, and Josh Hazlewood together, the pace battery of the Australia cricket team was unmatchable in the T20Is. Starc announced his retirement from T20 Internationals, and Cummins is struggling with a back pain issue and has been ruled out of the tournament. Hazlewood is in Australia’s current T20 World Cup squad but is uncertain to play from the beginning.
Addressing the crisis moment of Australia in T20s, Aakash Chopra said that without their premier pacer, the Aussies will have to toil a lot in the competition. As Josh Hazlewood is uncertain to play a portion of the contest, the team from the land of kangaroos is left with very limited options to lead the pace bowling department.
“If Josh Hazlewood misses out as well, along with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, aapne dil, dhadkan, jaan, sab kuch nikaal liya (you have removed the heart, heartbeat, life, and everything). Then this team will become weak. Then they will struggle. There is a strong possibility,” Chopra said in his YouTube video.
Lack of quality in the Australian bowling line-up
In place of injured Cummins, Cricket Australia named Ben Dwarshuis as his replacement. Another pacer, Sean Abbott, will travel with the team as the cover for Josh Hazlewood. If Hazlewood is unable to recover within the time, then the travelling reserve, which is Abbott, will replace him.
The team has the options and replacements, but Aakash Chopra showed his concerns over the quality of the bowlers like Ben Dwarshuis and Sean Abbott.
“I also read Hazlewood’s news, that he also might not be available for the majority of the tournament. If that is true, whether it’s Ben Dwarshuis or Sean Abbott or anyone else you keep, with due respect, they are not the same quality,” Chopra explained.
Australia may have to struggle a lot
Australia is placed in Group B, alongside Sri Lanka, Ireland, Oman, and Zimbabwe. From this group, they are expected to qualify for the next round, where they will have to face tougher challenges. India, South Africa, and the West Indies are the favourites to share the same group with Australia in the round of eight.
Eight teams will be divided into two groups, and from these two groups, the two best teams from each group will play the semifinals. Chopra stated that against India, South Africa, or the West Indies, Australia may have to struggle a lot.
“Then Australia will get stuck. Then they might not reach the semi-finals because the group they are going to, Australia, India, South Africa, and the West Indies, is not an easy group. To go to the semi-final and then the final from that group is slightly difficult,” the former Indian cricketer said.
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