Cricket

Nathan Ellis's hopes of cementing his place in Australia's T20I side have been dashed by a hamstring injury sustained during the Hundred. The setback rules him out of the remaining Scotland series and the subsequent eight white-ball games in England.Ellis had targeted the Scotland series as an opportunity to lead Australia's attack in the absence of rested pacemen Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, and injured Josh Hazlewood. However, Cricket Australia confirmed on Friday that Ellis's hamstring tendon injury had not healed sufficiently for him to be considered for selection.The timing of the injury is particularly frustrating for Ellis, who has played 17 T20Is but has often found his opportunities limited by the presence of the "big three" quicks. Riley Meredith, who made his first international appearance since 2021 in Australia's thrashing of Scotland in the first T20I, will remain with the squad as cover.Hazlewood has joined the squad in England ahead of Wednesday's first T20I at the Utilita Bowl, having recovered from a minor calf strain. Ellis was also expected to feature in the five-match ODI series against England, which starts on September 19, but a replacement is yet to be named.Meredith could potentially be released to play for Somerset on T20 Blast Finals Day on Saturday, but the club's captain Lewis Gregory has indicated that they do not expect him to be available. Somerset do not have any players in England's T20I squad, so they will otherwise have their full squad at their disposal.Ellis's injury is a blow to Australia's T20I ambitions, as he has proven to be a valuable asset with his ability to bowl at high speeds and generate swing. His absence will put pressure on the remaining bowlers to step up and perform consistently.

Former Australian captain Tim Paine has advocated for the inclusion of Nathan Ellis in Australia's first-choice attack for the 2024 T20 World Cup, alongside Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa. Paine believes Ellis' versatility and impressive performances in the powerplay and death overs make him a valuable asset to the team.Ellis, 29, has played 14 T20Is for Australia, but only one on home soil. Despite his limited opportunities, he has consistently delivered strong performances, including an outstanding international record. Paine believes Ellis' ability to bowl throughout the powerplay and his effective slower balls make him a perfect complement to the other quicks in the squad.While acknowledging the exceptional abilities of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Paine argues that Ellis' unique skillset and ability to provide variety in the attack will be crucial for Australia's success in the upcoming World Cup. He emphasizes that Ellis' economy rate in the powerplay and his dominance at the death make him a standout performer in these critical phases of the game.Ellis' impressive numbers in T20s since 2020 support Paine's assessment. He boasts the second-best powerplay economy among the selected World Cup squad, behind only Hazlewood. At the death, he is the most effective Australian quick, having bowled significantly more overs in that phase than any of his counterparts.Despite his limited playing time in the recent IPL, Ellis made a positive impact in Australia's warm-up match against Namibia, taking 1 for 17 from his four overs. With Starc and Cummins expected to join the squad later, there is a possibility that Australia will experiment with different bowling combinations during the group stage. However, Paine's strong endorsement of Ellis suggests that he is a serious contender for a starting role in the team's first-choice attack.