MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Star paceman Pat Cummins has been ruled out of Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign in Sri Lanka and India, failing to recover from a long-term back injury ahead of the final squad deadline.
Cricket Australia confirmed Saturday that Cummins, who has struggled with the ailment for six months, will be replaced in the 15-man squad by left-arm allrounder Ben Dwarshuis.
“With Pat needing more time to recover from his back injury, Ben is a ready replacement who offers a left arm pace option as well as dynamic fielding and late order hitting,” Australia selector Tony Dodemaide said.
“We believe his ability to swing the ball at good pace along with clever variations will be well suited to the conditions we expect and overall structure of the squad.
Matt Short has also been omitted in favor of Matthew Renshaw, who only made his T20 international debut two days ago against Pakistan.
Josh Hazlewood and Tim David have both been retained in the final squad as they continue their comeback trail from hamstring injuries.
Steve Smith remained absent from the final roster despite a stellar season in Australia's domestic Big Bash League for the Sydney Sixers had led to calls for the veteran to be included in the final squad.
ICC rules permitted squad changes until Jan. 31.
Australia opens the tournament on Feb. 11 against Ireland in Colombo then plays Zimbabwe in Colombo on Feb. 13, followed by matches in Kandy against Sri Lanka on Feb. 16 and Oman on Feb. 20.
The team will travel to India for at least some of their Super Eights games if they qualify.
The Aussies are currently in Pakistan as part of a three-match warmup series where they trial 2-0 with one match to play.
Australia squad: Mitch Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia's Sean Abbott, center, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha during the second T20 cricket match between Pakistan and Australia, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The latest collection of government files released on Jeffrey Epstein include emails from 2003 between Casey Wasserman, the head of the Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, and Epstein's one-time girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Among the exchanges included Wasserman telling Maxwell “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”
There is also an email exchange about massages and one in which Maxwell asks whether it will be foggy enough during an upcoming visit "so that you can float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?”
Wasserman responds, “or something like that."
In a statement released Saturday, Wasserman said “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,” which he said occurred “long before her horrific crimes came to light.”
“I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them,” he said.
In 2021, Maxwell was convicted on five counts of sex trafficking and abuse of minors. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The documents were disclosed as mandated by a law passed requiring the government to open its files on the late financier and his confidant and onetime girlfriend, Maxwell. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after being indicted on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Wasserman built a sports and talent agency that represents top players in football, basketball and baseball, along with big-name actors such as Adam Sandler and Brad Pitt.
He has grabbed more headlines recently as the frontman for the LA Olympic effort; his lobbying played a big role in bringing the Summer Olympics back to the U.S. in 2028. Los Angeles previously hosted in 1984 and this will be the first Summer Games in the United States since Atlanta in 1996.
In 2021, Wasserman divorced his wife of 20 years, Laura Ziffren Wasserman.
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FILE - Casey Wasserman, LA28 chairperson and president, takes questions from the media during a news conference in Los Angeles, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
