Cricket World Cup: Australia announces 15-man squad, five burning questions
IS Nathan Lyon unlucky to miss selection in Australia’s World Cup 15? Here are FIVE burning questions following the announcement of the squad.
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AUSTRALIA’S selectors have named a pace-heavy 15-man squad for the ICC World Cup, beginning against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on February 14.
Here are the five burning questions raised by today’s squad announcement:
IS THIS THE SQUAD TO WIN THE WORLD CUP?
The bookies think so. The Aussies have been installed as $3.75 favourites to lift the trophy on home soil ahead of South Africa ($4.20), India ($5.50) and New Zealand ($7.00).
Australia won 13 of their 18 ODIs in 2014, however one of those defeats came at the hands of lowly Zimbabwe. In the knockout stages of a World Cup, a similar lapse would be calamitous.
The biggest potential banana peel for Australia appears to be the February 28 showdown with New Zealand at Eden Park. The corresponding match at the 1992 World Cup ended in tears for the Aussies as Martin Crowe (100 not out) and Gavin Larsen (3-30) guided New Zealand to a memorable 37-run upset.
The in-form Black Caps are planning a similar ambush this time around.
Australia enter the tournament as the equal top-ranked nation in ODI cricket. Australia and India have an identical rating (117) ahead of South Africa (112), Sri Lanka (110) and England (104).
Only Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, Steve Smith and Brad Haddin played at the 2011 World Cup, which ended in a five-wicket quarter-final defeat to eventual champions India in Ahmedabad.
FULL SQUAD: CLARKE GIVEN WORLD CUP INJURY DEADLINE
HOW BIG A GAMBLE DOES GLENN MAXWELL REPRESENT?
Sizeable. Maxwell burst back to life with a blazing 66 off 44 balls for the Melbourne Stars against the Renegades last night — but only after a lamentable Big Bash League campaign blighted by a first ball duck while shouldering arms against the Heat.
The Australians are both enamoured and frustrated with Maxwell. They talk up his ability as a matchwinner, yet have increasingly questioned his inconsistency and mental approach to the game.
Never was the famine/feast metric more obvious than in the Twenty20 format in 2014, which saw Maxwell dominate the World T20 and IPL in the first half of the year before averaging barely over 10 in the Champions League, English county scene and BBL.
Nevertheless, he will form an integral part of this side as much for his bowling as his powerful, chaotic batting. The Australians will be tempted to omit Doherty for an extra paceman if they feel Maxwell’s finger spin can be relied upon, and his explosive performances with the blade can turn the course of a match in little more than five overs.
Maxwell, along with seam-bowling all-rounders Shane Watson, James Faulkner and Mitchell Marsh, add plenty of versatility to the Australian squad. Now they have to deliver.
WAS NATHAN LYON UNLUCKY TO MISS OUT?
Not really. Lyon may have a detailed Test resume but he has only played eight ODIs over the course of his career with 11 wickets at 30.00 to show for his efforts.
He bowled steadily in the ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE, claiming three wickets in two matches, but fell short of turning in the kind of performances that would have forced the selectors’ hands at World Cup time.
Xavier Doherty was the more conservative option. He spins the ball away from right-handers, bowls a tidy line and length and has taken 54 wickets in 57 matches at 39.18.
It remains to be seen how heavily Doherty will be used, however, given the pace-heavy nature of Australia’s squad and part-time spin options such as Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith at their disposal.
Selectors are clearly counting on Australian conditions to deliver a very different World Cup to 2011 in India and Sri Lanka, where five of the top seven wicket-takers were spinners.
There had been calls for Cameron Boyce’s inclusion after four strong Twenty20 International outings, but the fact the 25-year-old leg-spinner has yet to play an ODI ensured he was never a realistic option.
HOW WILL PAT CUMMINS AND A YOUNG PACE UNIT FARE?
There’s plenty of upside to Cummins. Fast, accurate and with the ability to swing the ball both ways, Cummins has long been in the selectors’ plans despite the succession of back and foot injuries that have beset him over the past four seasons.
His form in the Big Bash League with the Sydney Thunder has been strong (four wickets at an economy rate of 7.50) and his 12 wickets at 27.41 in seven ODI appearances — including a three-for in his last outing against South Africa in November — suggest he is a risk worth taking.
Cummins, 21, will form one of the tournament’s youngest pace line-ups alongside 24-year-olds Mitchell Starc (49 wickets at 22.48 in 28 ODIs) and Josh Hazlewood (10 wickets at 23.10 in six ODIs). How they handle the unique pressure of a home World Cup remains to be seen, although they will have at least one old head to call upon for advice.
Mitchell Johnson, 33, took 10 wickets at 23.10 in seven games at the previous World Cup on unhelpful subcontinental wickets. He will be well rested after missing the Sydney Test and could well be the most critical member of this Australian squad given the relatively inexperienced cast around him.
There’s a nice balance to Australia’s pace attack. Two right-armers and two lefties. The unerring accuracy of Hazlewood and the raw pace of Johnson. The swing of Starc and Cummins alongside the hit-the-deck capabilities of Hazlewood and Johnson. On paper, at least, it’s a pace attack for all conditions.
In terms of omissions, Ryan Harris would not have looked out of place in a World Cup uniform. But his ongoing knee issues and the fact he played the last of his 21 ODIs in May, 2012 counted against him.
Nathan Coulter-Nile was not considered due to the serious hamstring injury suffered during the ODI series against South Africa in November.
IS THE MICHAEL CLARKE FITNESS GAMBLE WORTH IT?
The selectors have taken a calculated risk with Clarke. Clearly, he remains in the country’s top half dozen batsmen and has World Cup pedigree unmatched in Australia’s batting unit.
It is expected Clarke will miss Australia’s World Cup opener against England due to recent hamstring surgery but will be available either for their second (vs. Bangladesh at the Gabba on February 21) or third (vs. New Zealand at Eden Park on February 28) Pool A games, leaving Australia a batsman light.
Should he not recover for the latter stages of the tournament, Australia can call in a replacement.
Statistics would suggest Clarke is worth the wait. He has scored 669 runs at an average of 83.62 and a strike-rate of 93.56 in 18 World Cup games. He has scored a half century in more than a third of his World Cup innings in the Caribbean and India.
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