The last men's T20 World Cup was just a year ago, but the teams have changed a fair bit in the interim; many have new captains, and there have been some retirements. Conditions in Australia are very dissimilar to those in the UAE, where the last tournament was played. Also, UAE and Zimbabwe, part of the mix this time, were not in 2021, while Oman and Papua New Guinea were there then but miss out this time. Here's a then-and-now comparison of the squads.
The graphics below represent the original squads as announced by the respective boards.
Afghanistan
OUT: Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Karim Janat, Mohammad Shahzad, Sharafuddin Ashraf
IN: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Qais Ahmad, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Saleem, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli
Some regulars from the past few years, even decades, are gone. Like Hamid Hassan and Mohammad Shahzad. Hashmatullah Shahidi and Karim Janat, not quite veterans but familiar names, also miss out this time. Asghar Afghan, now plying his trade on the veterans' circuit, is also gone - in fact, he retired after the start of the last T20 World Cup, had to be withdrawn from the squad, and was replaced by Sharafuddin Ashraf at the time.
This time Sharafuddin and Gulbadin Naib are not in the main squad but in the list of reserves for the tournament. The replacements are not unfamiliar names, though: Fazalhaq Farooqi and Qais Ahmad, especially, are regulars on the franchise T20 circuit.
Australia
OUT: Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams, Mitchell Swepson
IN: Tim David
But where's Cameron Green? Oh well, the star turn against India came after the squad had been announced, but it's not impossible that Australia will have a think - and then another - about him, with some time left to go still.
No such issues when it came to Tim David, though. He was named in the squad even before he made his T20I debut for Australia - he has got his cap since, in India - as the only new face in a largely settled unit.
Remember also that Australia's 2021 squad was large because they named an expanded travelling party to the UAE to provision for the Covid-19 situation at the time.
Bangladesh
OUT: Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Naim, Shamim Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Soumya Sarkar
IN: Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mosaddek Hossain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Sabbir Rahman, Yasir Ali, Mohammad Saifuddin
This is one squad - there is another, some way down this article - that looks nothing like it did a year back, and nothing, possibly, like people expected it to. Eight changes! Mushfiqur Rahim has retired from the format, of course, and Mahmudullah, the 2021 captain, just hasn't done enough to be in the frame anymore. It's a vastly different team, as is evident, but of the players left out, Mahedi Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Soumya Sarkar, and uncapped legspinner Rishad Hossain, are in the reserves. Rubel Hossain, who was in the reserves last time around, also doesn't feature this time.
England
OUT: Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Jason Roy, James Vince, Tymal Mills
IN: Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Alex Hales, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes
There's a new captain here too - Eoin Morgan has played his last match for England, and now Jos Buttler holds the reins of the white-ball teams. Jonny Bairstow should have been in the squad, but he did his left leg in on a golf course last month. Ben Stokes missed the last World Cup while taking a break from the game, and Alex Hales is back in from the cold after a three-year absence. Jason Roy was dropped after a horror run during the English summer. Phil Salt and Harry Brook are the young-gun batters to come in. Sam Curran has recovered in time from a back stress fracture that ruled him out last time, but his brother Tom misses out after suffering a similar injury. Tymal Mills moves to the reserves this time around, Liam Dawson remains a reserve, and Richard Gleeson completes the list of back-ups.
India
OUT: Rahul Chahar, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
IN: Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel
India have been playing a lot, and players are coming in, going out, resting, recovering… and the team has been changing, starting from the top: Virat Kohli led in 2021; Rohit Sharma is in charge now.
India would likely have kept Ravindra Jadeja in the 2022 squad, but he is recovering after surgery on his knee. After Jasprit Bumrah's late loss to injury Mohammed Shami was announced as his replacement.
Interestingly, India's designated finisher, Dinesh Karthik, was part of the squad for the inaugural World T20, back in 2007.
Ireland
OUT: Andy McBrine, Kevin O'Brien, Neil Rock, Ben White, Craig Young
IN: Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Graham Hume
Andy McBrine missing out was the big news when Ireland announced their squad, which otherwise wears a largely familiar look, though there are some not-very-experienced names in it. Like batter Stephen Doheny, who is yet to play a T20I, fast-bowling allrounder Fionn Hand, who made his T20I debut just recently, and medium-pacer Conor Olphert, who has played only two T20Is so far.
In a late development, premier quick Craig Young was ruled out after an old injury flared up, and Graham Hume - 31, fast, but just two internationals old - has been drafted in.
No Kevin O'Brien, of course; he finished up with international cricket earlier this year.
Namibia
OUT: Michau du Preez, Craig Williams
IN: Divan la Cock, Lo-handre Louwrens, Tangeni Lungameni
The core of the team hasn't changed, and Namibia will hope to make a mark one more time at the tournament they made so much noise in last time. Two players out, three in, 16 in the squad, and no list of reserves.
Netherlands
OUT: Pieter Seelaar, Philippe Boissevain, Ben Cooper, Ryan ten Doeschate
IN: Tom Cooper, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Shiraz Ahmed, Vikramjit Singh
Pieter Seelaar was one of Netherlands' old hands, and a talismanic leader, but a persistent back injury pushed him to quit the game. Wicketkeeper-batter Scott Edwards is the captain now, and he has a pretty high-worth T20 side at his disposal. One Cooper is out and another has come in (shades of England's Curran situation). Ryan ten Doeschate is another big name missing this time around; he is now 42 and a coach. Netherlands, too, have a 16-member squad and no reserves.
New Zealand
OUT: Todd Astle, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Seifert
IN: Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell
As one might expect with New Zealand, there isn't much to talk about here. Straightforward changes, in tune with the way they have gone in T20Is in recent times, and despite the numbers not quite adding up, still the same captain as last time. Lockie Ferguson, who had the misfortune of missing out with injury after flying to the UAE with the team in 2021, will be hoping to make up for lost time. Adam Milne, who replaced him, keeps his place.
Pakistan
OUT: Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik
IN: Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Shan Masood, Naseem Shah, Usman Qadir
Pakistan have had to push Fakhar Zaman out of the main squad and into the reserves because of an injury - though he is said to have recovered since and might move back into the main squad. Shoaib Malik and Sarfaraz Ahmed have not played for them since a series in Bangladesh in November last year, and Imad Wasim since the World Cup that preceded that tour. Mohammad Hafeez is missing, having retired from international cricket.
Things might change yet for them. Shaheen Shah Afridi is reported to have recovered from the knee injury that has kept him out since July, and is expected to join the team soon.
Scotland
OUT: Kyle Coetzer, Dylan Budge, Alasdair Evans
IN: Josh Davey/Michael Jones, Brandon McMullen, Chris Sole
Scotland are another team with a new captain, the very experienced Richie Berrington, after Kyle Coetzer announced his T20I retirement recently. And while Brandon McMullen has earned his maiden call-up, Alasdair Evans appears to have fallen out of favour. Josh Davey was very much a part of the last World Cup but was withdrawn after playing five matches because of a groin injury. He was replaced by Michael Jones then; both of them are in the squad this time.
South Africa
OUT: Bjorn Fortuin, Wiaan Mulder, Rassie van der Dussen, Dwaine Pretorius
IN: Wayne Parnell, Rilee Rossouw, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen
Rassie van der Dussen should have been in the South Africa squad, but has been sidelined by a broken finger. Ditto for Dwaine Pretorius, who broke a thumb while on tour in India recently.
Bjorn Fortuin has moved to the reserves, where he now has only Andile Phehlukwayo for company, because Marco Jansen has been included in the main squad as Pretorius' replacement, while Rilee Rossouw and Tristan Stubbs, both outstanding T20 batters, have come in.
Sri Lanka
OUT: Dinesh Chandimal, Akila Dananjaya, Binura Fernando, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera
IN: Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dilshan Madushanka, Jeffrey Vandersay, Pramod Madushan
Dinesh Chandimal, Ashen Bandara, Nuwanidu Fernando and Praveen Jayawickrama were all at the Asia Cup, but have been listed as reserve players, alongside Binura Fernando. Akila Dananjaya has not played for Sri Lanka since September last year. Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara are in, but subject to fitness.
West Indies
OUT: Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh, Fabian Allen, Shimron Hetmyer
IN: Rovman Powell, Yannic Cariah, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Raymon Reifer, Odean Smith, Shamarh Brooks
That's 12 players out, and the replacements are not unexpected ones either, with the possible exception of Yannic Cariah, who is 30 and only made his T20I debut in the recent series against Australia having last played a T20 back in August 2016. More important are the players going out, signalling, in a sense, the end of an era, one in which West Indies became arguably the preeminent T20I team in the world, and their players the most sought after in T20 leagues around the globe.
Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Lendl Simmons are all retired from internationals. Andre Russell is still around, but the selectors say they have "moved on" from him. Sunil Narine is another player the selectors have become wary of, given he seems unsure if he wants to play for West Indies or not; he wasn't at the tournament the last time either.
Akeal Hosein, who came in at the last minute in 2021 in place of the injured Fabian Allen, keeps his place ahead of Allen. Obed McCoy, who was withdrawn due to a shin injury last time around after West Indies' first game, will be keen to strut his miserly stuff this time.
The original squad had Shimron Hetmyer, but he ended up missing a flight from Guyana and the selectors "unanimously" chose to drop him and bring in Shamarh Brooks.
Note: Changes can be made to the squads without requiring permission from the event's technical committee until October 15 for teams that qualified directly for the tournament. After that, permission is required.