• Source:JND
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T20 World Cup 2024: Australia will be missing some of their key players including captain Pat Cummins in their warm-up matches of next month's T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.

While Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Travis Head will not be playing both of their warm-up matches against Namibia and West Indies, some will miss at least one match due to their availability in the recently concluded IPL 2024.

Australia will first play Namibia on Wednesday and the West Indies on Friday in Trinidad but they might have as few as eight players available for the two matches since most of them will take a break following their stint in the IPL playoffs.

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"We're going to be undermanned. But it is a practice game. The guys who need to play will play as much as they can and we'll figure it out from there," captain Mitchell Marsh, who himself is recovering from a hamstring injury, told cricket.com.au.

The IPL finals between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad had three Australian players -– Travis Head, Pat Cummins and player of the match Mitchell Starc.

Apart from them, RCB's Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell will link up with the World Cup squad by the end of the week in Barbados whereas LSG all-rounder Marcus Stoinisis expected to arrive in Trinidad only after the Namibia practice match.

Travelling reserves Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short too are set to join after Australia's first match of the tournament which is against Oman on June 5.

Due to the lack of availability of their players, the Australian team will likely need to call on members of the coaching staff to the field during the warm-up matches.

Brad Hodge has joined the support staff for this tournament while head coach Andrew McDonald, national selector George Bailey and assistant coach Andre Borovec could be seen sweating it out on the field.

It is to be noted that as per ICC rules players taking to the field in the warm-up games must be from the country they are representing.

Talking about skipper Marsh, he played just four matches in IPL 2024 for Delhi Capitals picking up a hamstring injury after which he headed back home. He hasn't played since and is yet to resume bowling.

"I'm probably still a little while off (bowling) – I'll start bowling hopefully soon. Get through these practice games as a batter and then we'll ramp it up," said Marsh.

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"We're lucky that we've got so many options with the ball and so much talent with Stoin, Greeny. I'll bowl when I need to bowl. I thought (this injury) was a three-weeker. Now it's been seven (weeks). With tendons, it's a little bit on feel.

"Once I was ruled out of the IPL, we certainly took our time. I'm exactly where I need to be with all the planning leading into the World Cup, I'll be ready to go."