Injury-hit Australia can still contend at World Cup, says Ellis: England face WI test

Injury-hit Australia limp into the T20 World Cup without leading fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood but Nathan Ellis says the team’s depleted attack can still carry the team to glory.

Cummins pulled out with a back injury and Hazlewood lost a race to be fit after sustaining Achilles and hamstring injuries.

With Mitchell Starc having quit the format, Australia will be without all three of their top quicks for the first World Cup in over a decade.

Ellis, the default leader of a pace attack featuring Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis, said they would be able to cover for the loss of their more experienced team-mates.

“We’ve had 18-24 months of cricket together where the big three haven’t been playing and have had big workloads in the test arena,” he told reporters on Monday.

“I actually think we work together really, really well.

“We’ve all got different skill-sets and can gel together on the night in different phases of the game.

“A squad with ‘Hoff’ (Hazlewood) and Cummo (Cummins) is a strong squad obviously but without them I feel like we’re just as well placed to go deep.”

Ellis will go into Australia’s opener against Ireland in Colombo on Wednesday without any recent match practice, having suffered a hamstring strain bowling for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.

In his absence, Australia lost 3-0 to Pakistan in a warm-up series.

Ellis has been used more as a specialist death bowler than a powerplay enforcer but conceded his role might need to change.

“Obviously you have to take each game, conditions as they come. But losing one of the better white-ball bowlers in the world in Hoff, things are always going to have to change,” he said.

“My role will try to be adaptable as much as I can.”

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh also confirmed on Tuesday that while Ellis has been cleared to take the field for Australia against Ireland, the big-hitting Tim David will sit out the opening contest as he returns from a hamstring strain of his own.

“We’ll certainly see him (David) come back into contention over the next few games,” Marsh told reporters.

Buttler hails McCullum

Senior England player Jos Buttler on Tuesday backed under-fire Brendon McCullum, saying the New Zealander was ‘as sharp a coach as I’ve ever worked with’.

McCullum is desperate for success at the T20 World Cup in India, where England face the West Indies in Mumbai on Wednesday, after facing flak for the torrid 4-1 thumping in the Ashes.

England coach McCullum was accused of being too laid-back and allowing a drinking culture in the camp.

White-ball captain Harry Brook had to apologise after being involved in an altercation with a night-club bouncer on the eve-of-Ashes tour of New Zealand.

On Sunday, McCullum was seen sending messages via walkie-talkie to the England players during drinks breaks as they squeezed home against Nepal in a last-ball nail-biter in Mumbai.

It appeared to be part of a more hands-on, proactive coaching approach, and Buttler welcomed it.

“I think he’s had those walkie-talkies for a while now, but then communication from top to bottom has always been really good in the group,” former captain Buttler told reporters at the Wankhede stadium ahead of training.

“’Baz’ can sit with his feet up and his sunglasses on and look very relaxed.

“But he’s as sharp a coach as I’ve ever worked with. He doesn’t miss a beat.

“He was a successful captain, so he’s got lots of great messages, knowledge and stuff to pass on to all the players.

“His relationship with Harry Brook has been a great one for this team. They’re really close.”

Brook took over after Buttler stood down as captain last year, following England’s group stage exit from the 50-over Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE.

That followed an embarrassing title defence at the 50-over World Cup in India in 2023 and a semi-final exit as defending champions at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.

Buttler, who led England T20 World Cup glory in 2022 in Australia, said it had been tricky to adjust to just being a player again after being captain.

In his second game after giving up the role, he sought advice from Joe Root, who had stood down as Test captain but played on under Ben Stokes.

“He was stood at slip and I was keeping wicket. We had five or 10 minutes just talking about it,” he said.

“How different it is when he’s been captain... and some of the various emotions he felt, the challenges that he found, and yes it was really helpful.”

England on Tuesday announced one change from the team that beat Nepal, seamer Luke Wood being replaced by Jamie Overton.

Wood conceded 14 runs from the 19th over against Nepal on Sunday in taking 1-31 from three overs.

Agencies