MELBOURNE, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Australia's Pat Cummins will be kept on ice until a few games into the Twenty20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka as selectors take a cautious approach with the pace veteran's recovery from a lower back injury.
Cummins returned to action during the third Ashes test in Adelaide but missed the last two matches against England and will skip Australia's T20 warm-up matches against Pakistan.
Selectors' chief George Bailey confirmed that pace bowlers Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and hard-hitting batter Tim David will also be rested from the three-match series against Pakistan in Lahore, which starts on January 29.
Hazlewood has been recovering from hamstring and Achilles problems while David has also been nursing a hamstring strain.
Bailey said that David had suffered a minor setback in his recovery last week but was expected to be fit for the start of the World Cup along with Hazlewood. The tournament runs from February 7 to March 8.
"Pat's a little bit different ... he'll probably join that World Cup group a little bit later in the tournament, around game three or four," Bailey told reporters on Monday.
Fast bowler Mahli Beardman and all-rounder Jack Edwards could make their international debuts after being included in a 17-man squad for the Pakistan series released on Monday.
“The series is a great opportunity for those on the brink of selection, and some young players we rate highly, for valuable experience with the World Cup group in Pakistan," said Bailey.
Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitch Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in MelbourneEditing by David Goodman)
