Colombo, Feb 10 (NationPress) Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh announced that Nathan Ellis is primed for selection in the T20 World Cup opener against Ireland on Wednesday, having successfully recovered from a hamstring injury. However, Tim David will not be hurried back into action as he is still focused on his own hamstring rehabilitation.

The Australian team is taking a cautious route despite David's evident improvement during training. The 29-year-old has not played since sustaining his injury on Boxing Day while competing for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League. Since joining the national team in Sri Lanka last week, he has gradually increased his training intensity.

David has participated in all batting sessions in Colombo aside from Wednesday’s optional practice, and he has completed a variety of running and fielding exercises, including high-intensity sprints in training gear on Tuesday.

With Australia set to face Ireland on Wednesday at the R. Premadasa Stadium and Zimbabwe just two days later, Marsh suggested that David could return to contention as the tournament progresses. "We will definitely consider him for the upcoming games," Marsh mentioned during his pre-match press conference.

David’s absence paves the way for Matthew Renshaw, who may make his World Cup debut. The left-handed batsman was added to the T20 World Cup squad just 10 days ago after Matt Short was dropped. Since his international debut against Pakistan last month, Renshaw has emerged as a viable contender for a starting position.

Ellis is expected to spearhead an Australian bowling lineup that is missing several star players. This T20 World Cup marks the first time since 2011 that the men's team will compete without Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, or Pat Cummins. Hazlewood (Achilles) and Cummins (back) are sidelined, while Starc has retired from T20 internationals.

Left-arm spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Cooper Connolly, along with quicks Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis (who is replacing Cummins), are competing for the remaining bowling positions alongside Adam Zampa and Ellis.

"Over the past year, players like Benny Dwarshuis and Xavier Bartlett have been integral to our team, so we have great confidence in their abilities. We’ve developed a squad of around 18 to 20 players who have all seen game time in the last year," Marsh stated.

Australia is the last of the 20 teams to kick off their World Cup campaign, allowing them to observe Ireland beforehand. The two sides have only clashed once in the past decade.

"They have all faced various match situations, and while some may not have extensive experience with Australia, they have played a lot of cricket, and we are confident in our squad,” Marsh concluded.

"Our focus has been on our preparation, and having extra lead-in time has been beneficial. Some players were absent in Pakistan (prior to the World Cup), so it has been great to have the group together for a week. Now, as we approach the World Cup, we are eager to get started," Marsh added.