COLOMBO: Australia remain confident of a strong showing at the upcoming ICC Twenty20 World Cup despite the absence of several frontline fast bowlers, captain Mitchell Marsh said on Thursday.

Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has retired from T20 Internationals, while his new-ball partner Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the 20-nation tournament with a back injury. Josh Hazle­wood is also doubtful for the first round after suffering a hamstring injury.

“We are well prepared for the World Cup and, yes, we will miss some of our key players, but we are confident that we have all bases covered,” Marsh told reporters at the captains’ briefing in Colombo.

Australia arrived in Sri Lanka after a 3-0 series drubbing in Pakistan, but Marsh dismissed concerns over their form.

“We have a few guys available here who didn’t play in Pakistan and it’s all about adapting to conditions,” he said. “We are confident that we will put up a good show in the World Cup.”

The former world champions boast an impressive record since the last World Cup in the Caribbean and US in 2024, winning 17 of their 21 T20 Internationals.

The tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, begins on Saturday.

SICKNESS HITS NZ CAMP

Meanwhile, New Zealand batters Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway have been struck down with illness ahead of the T20 World Cup but head coach Rob Walter is hopeful of a clean bill of health before their tournament gets underway.

Walter said the duo were missing a warm-up against the United States in Mumbai while top-order batter Finn Allen was also rested as he recovers from a shoulder injury.

“There’s a bit of illness in the camp unfortunately at the moment so Devon and Rachin are struggling with a viral infection which I suppose is part and parcel of touring,” Walter told reporters on Thursday.

“Rachin’s next door to me and it hasn’t sounded good all night, so I think he might be struggling.”

New Zealand launch their bid for a maiden T20 World Cup title against Afghanistan in Chennai on Sunday.

All-rounder Michael Bracewell missed the recent 4-1 loss to India in the T20 warm-up series with a calf injury but Walter expects him to be fit for Afghanistan, along with Allen.

“Everyone’s sort of on track at this stage to be fit and healthy for game one, which is good news,” he said.

New Zealand have struggled to build momentum since arriving in the subcontinent, with Jimmy Neesham falling ill and paceman Lockie Ferguson coming back from injury.

While New Zealand lost the final T20 against India this week, Ferguson’s two-wicket spell was a bright spot for Walter, with the fast bowler expected to take a leading role in the absence of Adam Milne.

“He has worked incredibly hard to get himself ready for the World Cup,” said Walter.

“He said he was going to ease into it, but he was bowling 145 (kph). So if that’s him easing in, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s to come.”

BROOK PREDICTS 300-PLUS TOTALS

England captain Harry Brook said that he believes it could be a record-breaking T20 World Cup, with fans trea­ted to a batting blitz and 300-plus scores.

Sri Lanka’s 260-6 in 2007 remains the highest total in the nine previous editions of the men’s tournament.

England will play all their Group ‘C’ matches at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium and Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, both renowned as high-scoring venues.

“There are plenty of grounds in India where there could be a score of 300-plus,” Brook told reporters on the captain’s media day in Mumbai, when asked if he thought such lofty totals were possible.

“The wickets are quite good, with rapid outfields and fairly short boundaries.

“So, yeah, you’ve just got to go out there be fearless, not worry about getting out and keep on trying to attack the ball.”

England come into the World Cup heartened by a 3-0 T20 series win in Sri Lanka this week. In the preceding ODI series against the same opposition, the explosive Brook bludgeoned 136 off just 66 balls.

His team are expected to make the Super Eights from a Group ‘C’ that also features two-time winners West Indies, debutants Italy, Nepal and Scotland.

Brook would not be drawn when asked whether the 2010 and 2022 champions England were among the favourites for the title ahead of their opening match, against Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

“We’ll take it game by game and see where we land in a couple of weeks,” said Brook, who has been under intense scrutiny after an incident with a night club bouncer in New Zealand last year.

“We are confident, we want to go all the way in the tournament,” added Brook, who is in charge at a global tournament for the first time since he replaced Jos Buttler as white ball captain last year.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2026