Steve Smith named Australian T20 skipper, replaces Aaron Finch

Disclosing the rationale behind naming Smith as the captain, Marsh stated that the move was aimed at maintaining continuity across all the three formats.

It is learnt that Australian selectors were eager to ask Steve Smith to lead the team during the T20 series against India.

Australian cricket captain Steve Smith remains unimpressed with the dismissal of Mitchell Marsh.

Smith’s appointment as a T20 skipper for the upcoming pinnacle event means that he will become the first captain since Ricky Ponting’s retirement in 2009, to lead the national squad in all three formats of the game.

Aaron Finch has been sacked as Australia’s captain in the shortest form of the game and replaced by Test and ODI skipper Steve Smith just a month before the start of the T20 World Cup, The Age newspaper reported on Monday.

The major surprise was the inclusion of Peter Nevill, who is yet to play limited-overs cricket for Australia.

Cricket Australia will not discuss details of the make-up of the squad for the tournament, which takes place in India from March 8 to April 3, until it is announced in New Zealand on Tuesday.

While Nevill’s batting in 20-over cricket is scarcely dominant – he has averaged 15.75 with a highest score of 25 and a strike rate of barely a run-per-ball in the KFC Big Bash League – the quality of his wicketkeeping could prove vital on low, slow Indian pitches.

“We’re going to be playing in different conditions where we haven’t had a lot of success”.

“Aaron (Finch), Nathan (Coulter-Nile) and James (Faulkner) are all very important players and we want them with to be a part of this World T20 campaign”.

In picking uncapped duo Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar, and part-timer Glenn Maxwell, Australia bucked a trend in a tournament where several of the leading contenders have opted for three frontline tweakers on India’s spin-friendly tracks.

Australia have never won the World T20 title, which is the only world title missing in their illustrious history.

Coulter-Nile, Finch and Faulkner have all suffered injuries in recent times and the selectors are hoping that the trio can get some match practice before they leave for South Africa to play a T20I series.

Women’s squad: Meg Lanning (capt), Alex Blackwell, Kristen Beams, Lauren Cheatle, Sarah Coyte, Rene Farrell, Holly Ferling, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy (wk) Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani. Find us on Facebook too!