Marsh captain, key players return as Australia name squad for NZ T20Is

Canberra, Feb 6 (IANS) Australia have named a full-strength T20 squad that will tour New Zealand later this month, with Mitch Marsh to continue as captain of the side ahead of June's T20 World Cup.

The three-match series will be the final bilateral series ahead of T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean and Australia have recalled a quartet of experienced players for the T20 series against the BlackCaps.

Fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc as well as batters Travis Head and Steve Smith are all returning to the T20 side for the New Zealand tour having been rested for the home series against the West Indies that starts on Friday in Hobart.

Australia are dealing with some minor injury worries as they enter a six-game T20 stretch against the Windies and Black Caps that will be their final bilateral fixtures in the format before the World Cup.

Matt Short suffered a low-grade hamstring injury in the second ODI against the West Indies in Sydney. Nathan Ellis also faces a fitness test later this week in his recovery from a rib injury.

National Selection Panel chair George Bailey said: "The next six games will provide us the opportunity to start shaping what we think our World Cup squad will look like and potential roles within that.

"We will also fully utilise the opportunity to monitor and watch the performances of the Australian players in the IPL immediately preceding the World Cup."

Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa