Steve Smith replaces teammate [Source: @ICC/x]Steve Smith has been officially included in Australia squad in Sri Lanka in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Earlier, the legendary Australian batter was part of the group only as a ‘travelling reserve’. The Event Technical Committee of the tournament has now approved Steve Smith as a replacement in the Australian squad. It is worth noting that Smith is not replacing injured Australian captain Mitchell Marsh. Instead, the 36-year-old was brought into the 15-player squad as a replacement for senior fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. Desperate Australia makes U-turn on Hazlewood replacement Cricket Australia and the Australian team management has roped in Steve Smith and included him in the national squad for the ongoing 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The modern-day batting great was included in the 15-player group as a replacement for champion fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. It is worth noting that Hazlewood was ruled out of the tournament earlier this month owing to his calf injury. However, the Australian selection committee refused to name his replacement at the time. With Australia falling at the brink of a possible first-round exit, the team management has now decided to look up to fellow senior pro Steve Smith ahead of their must-win match against Sri Lanka. Since any replacement of a player midway into an ICC tournament requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee, the permission was officially granted to Cricket Australia on February 16. The committee of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup consists of Wasim Khan (Chair, ICC General Manager - Cricket), Gaurav Saxena (ICC General Manager – Events & Corporate Communications, IBC representative), Hemang Amin (Tournament Director, host representative) and Shaun Pollock (Independent nominee). Steve Smith returns to T20Is after two years Steve Smith’s late inclusion into the Australian squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup also marks his return to the national T20I setup after a gap of nearly two years. The legendary right-handed batter played the last of his 67 T20Is for Australia back in February 2024 against New Zealand. The 36-year-old was likely fast-tracked into the Australian side for the showpiece event owing to his stellar run for the Sydney Sixers in the BBL 2025-26 season. After starring in Australia’s 4-0 Ashes win over England, Steve Smith plundered 299 runs in just six innings for the Sixers at a prolific average of 59.80 and with a staggering strike rate of 167.97. Australia to face Sri Lanka in must-win match Australia, under interim captain Travis Head, started off its 2026 T20 World Cup campaign with a dominant 67-run win over Ireland in Colombo last week. However, they received a stern reality check from Zimbabwe in their very next match at the same venue. Chasing 170, Australia crumbled for just 146 in 19.3 overs to fall 23 runs short of Zimbabwe. Australia will now face tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka in a must-win match on Monday, February 16. A defeat at this stage for Australia will likely result in their first-round exit.
