Aaron Hardie had to miss the chance to showcase his T20 World Cup potential due to a minor calf issue. He was initially added to the squad as a replacement for Marcus Stoinis, who was ruled out with a back injury. However, Hardie experienced calf tightness during a Sheffield Shield game and was withdrawn from the New Zealand series after a precautionary scan showed no significant damage. In his place, Spencer Johnson was called into the squad. Additionally, Australia will be without Matthew Wade for the first match, but he is expected to be available for the subsequent T20Is. Other players like Matthew Short and Nathan Ellis are returning from injuries, with Ellis aiming to secure a spot in Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad.
I was spewing to miss that West Indies series,” Ellis said in Wellington on Sunday. “For me now it’s time to hit the ground running and put my name forward for the World Cup.
“There’s not a lot of cricket outside of IPL [before] the World Cup after this series. Security [of a spot] isn’t there. I don’t think it’s ever there. It still feels like a dream to play for Australia so I just want to relish every opportunity I get. The goal is to play a World Cup for Australia so I’ll be doing my best to keep my hat in the ring.
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