Why Has Steve Smith Replaced Josh Hazlewood at T20 World Cup 2026?

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The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 has approved Steve Smith as a replacement for Josh Hazlewood in the Australia squad.

Smith is named as a replacement for Hazlewood, who is now officially ruled out from participating in the tournament due to a calf injury. The team's medical staff had hoped to have him fit in time to feature in the latter parts of the tournament, but were unsuccessful.

The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.

The Event Technical committee of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 consists of Wasim Khan (Chair, ICC General Manager - Cricket), Gaurav Saxena (ICC General Manager - Events & Corporate Communications, IBC representative), Hemang Amin (Tournament Director, host representative), and Shaun Pollock (Independent nominee).

Australia's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign has suffered a major setback with Josh Hazlewood officially ruled out of the tournament. National selector Tony Dodemaide confirmed that the senior pacer will not recover in time, ending weeks of cautious optimism around his availability for the Super Eights.

What happened to Josh Hazlewood?

Hazlewood's absence is the culmination of a long and frustrating injury cycle. The fast bowler initially suffered a hamstring injury during the final Sheffield Shield match before the Ashes, and his rehabilitation was later complicated by ongoing Achilles issues. While Australia had hoped he could return midway through the World Cup, medical assessments indicated that he remains "some time away" from full match fitness.

Accelerating his rehabilitation was deemed too risky, with selectors unwilling to jeopardise Hazlewood's long-term fitness. As Dodemaide put it, pushing him back early "will carry too much of a risk."

Hazlewood's injuries require careful load management, especially given his history of stress-related issues. The focus now is on a gradual return rather than a rushed comeback during a high-intensity global tournament. This effectively rules him out not just for the group stage, but for the entire World Cup window in India and Sri Lanka.