On February 16, Cricket Australia confirmed Steve Smith as the replacement for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Notably, Steve Smith will be replacing Josh Hazlewood, who is yet to recover for the tournament. 

 

Smith was already a part of the Australian squad in their match against Sri Lanka in Colombo. It was because their captain, Mitchell Marsh, was recovering from testicular bleeding. However, Smith's stay has been finalized after Hazlewood failed to recover.

 

The tournament's Event Technical Committee investigated the issue and confirmed Smith as the replacement. Speaking about the process, Tony Dodemaide, the Australian selector, claimed that Steve is already with the team and will be available for selections. He said,

 

"ICC regulations stipulate any squad change must be submitted and activated at least one day prior to a match. With Steve here, along with some uncertainty around Mitch and Marcus Stoinis, it made sense he (Smith) is activated and available for selection in time for the match, if required."

 

What happened to Josh Hazlewood?

 

The Australian team is already battling with multiple injury concerns. Hazlewood, meanwhile, was recovering from a hamstring strain he sustained during a Sheffield Shield match. However, during the rehab, another Achilles issue along with a calf injury popped up that delayed the process.

 

Cricket Australia had hoped that Hazlewood would be fit by the end of the tournament. But at this position, Australia's qualification for the Super 8 is at stake. Today, the evening match against Sri Lanka will be crucial for their qualification.

 

What happened to Marcus Stoinis?

 

Meanwhile, the Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis suffered from a thumb injury during their last match against Zimbabwe. He suffered a painful blow to his left hand/wrist while attempting to stop a powerful straight drive from Ryan Burl. He could complete his stipulated overs. However, he returned to bat after a shattering batting show from his teammates. But his arrival did not aid much, as he scored just 6 runs.

 

Later, scans confirmed no fracture or break. Stoinis described the hand as "battered and bruised" but confirmed he was ready to play.

 

Meanwhile, Mitchell Marsh is believed to be fit by today and is expected to feature against Sri Lanka in the evening match. In his absence Travis Head was leading the side and won against Ireland but lost against Zimbabwe by 23 matches. A defeat against Sri Lanka will theoretically kick them out of the tournament.