nine players in Australia's T20 World Cup warm-up squad

There are nine players in Australia's T20 World Cup warm-up squad

Australia will miss two T20 World Cup matches with players involved late in the IPL allowed to take a short break at home before heading to the Caribbean.

They are expected to be down to just nine players for the game against Namibia on Tuesday (Wednesday morning AUD), further depleted by captain Mitchell Marsh, who was not yet ready to play after a hamstring injury that ended his IPL. They will also play the hosts West Indies on Thursday.

Pat Cummins, Travis Head and Mitchell Starr played in the IPL final on Sunday and will return to Australia shortly before joining the World Cup squad. Also spending time at home are Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Greene, who were part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's run to the playoffs. The five will arrive when Australia reaches Barbados before their first group game against Oman on June 5. Markus Stoinis has also not been to the Caribbean yet.

"It's important to be flexible," Marsh told cricket.com.au. "The boys were in the IPL. He played a lot of cricket during his time with his partner. That's why we like them so much. That he should spend some days at his home with his family. Spend time with your family to make them happy and double your happiness by seeing your family. Get refreshed and play your best innings in this tournament. Ultimately we will have 15, but it is very important to give them rest, even if they have [only] a few days at home."

That means Australia will likely have to call on the coaching staff to play warm-up matches if they want a full squad. Brad Hodge has joined the support staff for this tournament, while head coach Andrew McDonald, international George Bailey and assistant coach Andre Borovec could also be called up.

Daniel Vettori, another assistant coach, will also be part of the squad after the IPL, where he was the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, but would not be eligible to play in the warm-up games as players from the respective country would normally come.

Marsh, who will be leading Australia at the global competition for the first time, was confident of playing both warm-up games as a bat despite a slower-than-expected recovery from the hamstring injury he picked up against the Delhi Capitals.

"I'm just trying to tick things that fit me and are readily available," he said. So there is a great need to tick off these things. "Everything went well today. It was gradually slow, but now to finally get there and look forward to getting into the tournament.

"Initially we thought it was three weeks, but with tendons, it can take a bit longer and you have to feel it going on. When I was ruled out of the IPL, we definitely took the time to sort it out and I feel lucky. to have had a little extra time, some time at home to freshen up, and like everyone else who came in today, I'm raring to go.

Some teams have ruled out practice games altogether, but Australia's two warm-up games will be important for off-season arrivals Adam Zampa, Josh Inglis, Josh Hazlewood and Ashton Agar and the likes of Matthew Wade and Nathan Ellis. did. not much about their IPL sides. David Warner, whose international career will end at the World Cup, also comes into the tournament after a poor IPL and suffered a hand injury.

"He [Warner] didn't really hit the points and then got a nasty hit on the arm. Basically, he had the worst bruised leg and bruised wrist he's ever seen," Delhi Capitals' Ricky Ponting. "The head coach told the ICC Review. "He's a fierce little competitor who, once he comes to the World Cup, he hits Australia's colours again, then I have no worries about him."