Adam Zampa injured, Josh Hazlewood late! Australia shaken before T20 World Cup 2026

Adam Zampa suffers injury blow [Source: X]

In a massive development, Australia’s T20 World Cup preparations have taken a hit after Adam Zampa was reported injured following the third T20I against Pakistan in Lahore on February 1.

The veteran spinner, Adam Zampa, did not bat in the match after conceding 20 runs from his two overs. Visibly, Zampa was struggling with a groin niggle and, as things stand, the decision to keep him from batting was reportedly a precautionary move ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Adam Zampa’s injury hits Australia’s World Cup campaign

After Test captain Pat Cummins was ruled out of the T20 World Cup with a back injury, Zampa’s recent niggle has added further pressure on Australia, with the leg-spinner being one of the most valuable assets in their spin department going into the marquee ICC event.

Adam Zampa has taken 139 wickets at an average of 21.00 in his T20I career and has been Australia’s leading wicket-taker on the Pakistan tour, even though the team’s overall performance on the tour fell flat.

Australia suffered a 3-0 series defeat at the hands of Pakistan in Lahore, with the third game ending in a 111-run loss inflicted by Salman Agha and Co.

Although an official injury update from Cricket Australia’s medical team is yet to be revealed, if the issue is only a minor groin niggle, Zampa is expected to recover in time for Australia’s opening match against Ireland on February 11.

The most likely Playing XI replacement for Adam Zampa

However, if the injury turns out to be serious, the most likely replacement in the playing XI would be the 29-year-old Matthew Kuhnemann, a left-arm orthodox spinner.

Apart from Kuhnemann, Australia do not have another front-line spinner capable of filling Zampa’s role, and there is no like-for-like replacement in the current squad.

For those unaware, Kuhnemann has played only six T20Is for Australia and picked up two wickets. However, his overall T20 record shows 53 wickets, most of which have come in the Big Bash League.

In ODIs, he has taken eight wickets from five matches. With Zampa’s injury becoming a major concern, Australia’s recent form also remains a worrying factor.

Josh Hazlewood's late arrival adds to Australia's woes

Australia’s frontline pacer Josh Hazlewood is also nursing an Achilles injury that kept him out of the Ashes summer. Notably, he will not be travelling with the Australian squad heading to Sri Lanka for the T20 World Cup campaign and is set to arrive later after fully rehabilitating from the injury and being declared fit to play. 

Hence, alongside the Zampa concern, Josh Hazlewood remains a key focus among the Aussie quicks set to take part in the ICC event. It is currently also unclear whether his arrival on the island will be in time for Australia’s tournament opener against Ireland on February 11.

This makes Sean Abbott and Nathan Ellis the cover options for Josh Hazlewood, as both were named as travelling reserves. Notably, Ellis has already arrived in Colombo for the group-stage clash and will likely feature alongside Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett in the warm-up fixtures as well as the first group-stage encounter.

Australia’s worrisome Pakistan T20I campaign

Australia suffered heavy defeats against Pakistan, with all losses coming while chasing. The third T20I sealed the series for Mitchell Marsh and Co, as Pakistan’s target of 208 proved too steep.

Australia were bundled out for just 96 in 16.5 overs, collapsing under Mohammad Nawaz’s sensational five-wicket haul and Shahnawaz’s two scalps, which sent the Australian batting line-up tumbling like a house of cards.

Interestingly, Salman Ali Agha was the top scorer of the series with 120 runs, while Australia’s Cameron Green ranked third with 93. Adam Zampa picked up five wickets in the series, with his best figures of 4/24 and an economy rate of 7.10.

Zampa struck at 12.00, while Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz claimed seven wickets from his three appearances to finish as the leading wicket-taker of the series.