World Cup, 2015: Josh Hazlewood expected to get nod ahead of Pat Cummins in pace bowling unit
DARREN Lehmann will give the best indication yet his the first-choice World Cup XI, when he names his team for Sunday’s one-day tri-series final.
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AUSTRALIA coach Darren Lehmann will give the best indication yet of the first-choice XI he has in mind for the World Cup, when he names his team for Sunday’s one-day tri-series final against either England or India.
It could be that captain Michael Clarke is the only man missing from the side Lehmann would ideally like to take through the showpiece tournament starting on February 14 in Melbourne.
Spearhead Mitchell Johnson is set to return for the first time since he was ruled out of the fourth Test in Sydney, while all-rounder Shane Watson could even play in Perth as a batsman.
Watson remains in serious doubt with hamstring tightness, not because it’s a serious problem, but because it could be deemed too risky to rush him back so close to the World Cup starting, particularly after a long-haul flight to WA.
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But the big No. 3 batted in the nets at the WACA on Thursday and also ran on the field in a sign he could play in a restricted role.
Injuries aside however, the biggest unknown remains who will partner Johnson and Mitchell Starc in Australia’s fast bowling cartel?
Josh Hazlewood is tipped to edge out young gun Pat Cummins after starring for Australia against South Africa in ODIs at the start of the summer and then in his debut Test series against India.
Hazlewood confirmed what Lehmann has already stated — that the coach will do his best to stick with the same XI for every match of the World Cup.
Lehmann has the capacity to stay solid if his players are in form because there is nearly a week between matches, negating the need to rest the bowlers.
The only potential change to the bowling attack throughout the Cup could be if conditions require spinner Xavier Doherty to come into the mix.
Hazlewood says Sunday’s final will be a clear pointer to Australia’s best World Cup XI, meaning the pressure is on.
“Yeah I think so. Obviously the conditions here suit the quicks,” said Hazlewood, who isn’t prepared to call himself a World Cup starter just yet.
“It’ll be good to see Mitch bowl fast on Sunday.
“Hopefully the conditions suit me as they usually do here.
“I think Boof will try and settle on an XI and keep playing that same XI — pick the strongest team and stick with it as long as everyone is injury free and bowling well. I think that will stay pretty concrete.
“With a game only every week or five or six days there’s no reason to rest bowlers so I think once he picks that XI and settles on it, it will be pretty much settled.”
Hazlewood becomes a key man at the World Cup, given the Australian attack will otherwise be dominated by left-armers.
The big NSW quick expects lefty all-rounder James Faulkner to join Johnson and Starc on the list of certain selections, meaning he and Watson shape as the right-hand options.
Mitchell Marsh could play on Sunday in front of his home crowd in Perth if Watson is unavailable, but in a full-strength team he appears to be on the outer.
Clarke’s possible return from hamstring surgery in the second World Cup game could oust interim skipper George Bailey, and Cummins and Doherty are set to be the two bowlers to miss.
Hazlewood and Johnson have been given the opportunity to freshen up since the Test series, and both charged in under the hot sun at the WACA nets on Thursday.
“Mitch has obviously bowled a lot over the last 12-18 months and any time he can put his feet up for a week or so is good and I guess he’s refreshed,” said Hazlewood.
“He bowled well in Sydney in the nets over the few days and I guess the boys won’t be looking forward to facing him here in these nets, so he’ll be right to go.”
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