Australia rest Cummins and Hazlewood from Pakistan T20 series

MELBOURNE, Jan 19 : 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