Australia Replace Nathan Ellis With Ben Dwarshuis For England T20Is
Selectors cite ongoing fitness concerns for Ellis, forcing a reassessment of Australia’s death‑bowling options before the five‑match series.
Overview
- Cricket Australia announced on Sunday, November 15, 2026, that Nathan Ellis has been ruled out of the five‑match T20I series against England and that left‑arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis has been called into the squad as his replacement.
- Ellis injured his side during the September ODI tour of South Africa and has not regained full fitness after weeks of rehab, so team management decided not to rush him back into international cricket.
- Dwarshuis last played for Australia in the June 2026 ODI series and brings a left‑arm pace angle plus lower‑order batting depth as selectors test bowling combinations ahead of the series opener on November 21.
- Separately, Riley Meredith was added to Australia’s playing XI for the second ODI in Adelaide on November 15 to replace Mahli Beardman as part of targeted workload management following Beardman’s heavy use and prior back issues.
- The five‑match T20I series runs from November 21 to December 2 across five Australian venues, and Ellis’s absence narrows Australia’s specialist death‑bowling options, which could alter match‑day plans and rotation for the fast‑bowling group.