T20 World Cup: Daniel Cherny breaks down the candidates for Australia’s squad
Could Steve Smith be pushed out of Australia’s T20 World Cup squad? DANIEL CHERNY looks at the 30 candidates and breaks them down here.
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Cricket’s neverending juggling act has meant that neither Pat Cummins nor Mitchell Starc has played a Twenty20 international in more than 15 months dating back to Australia’s unsuccessful T20 World Cup defence on home soil.
In between times Australia has played 20 Tests and won the 50-over World Cup, but with the next T20 global event now on the horizon, Starc and Cummins - who fetched more than $8 million combined at last year’s Indian Premier League auction - return alongside Travis Head and Steve Smith for the three-match series against New Zealand beginning next Wednesday in Wellington.
They are the Aussies’ final three T20 internationals before the World Cup, although 16 Australians have the chance to further impress the selection panel at the IPL which stretches from late March deep into May.
Australia’s 2-1 series win over the West Indies was dominated by batters on either side. It helped solve some of the selection puzzle ahead of the World Cup, but there remain plenty of questions as to who will make the final 15-man cut.
Here’s a look at the field heading into the home stretch:
LOCKS (assuming fitness)
MITCH MARSH
The Allan Border Medallist is close to the first player picked and barring a late change of heart will captain the side to the World Cup. Has been used as an opener but No. 3 will be his spot although his bowling is now very much part-time.
DAVID WARNER
Indefatigable, the veteran had previously left the door ajar to coming out of one-day retirement at next year’s Champions Trophy but has pretty much confirmed that June’s World Cup will be his international swansong. Player of the series against the Windies and still a huge threat for opposition sides.
PAT CUMMINS
Underwhelmed at the T20 World Cup in late 2022 and hasn’t played at all in the format since. But such is his generational quality, there is no way the selectors won’t pick him for the squad if fit, even if he’s not a walk-up start for the best XI.
MITCHELL STARC
Starc was dropped for Australia’s final T20 World Cup game in late 2022 and like Cummins hasn’t played at all in T20 cricket in the intervening 15 months. However if market forces are anything to go by, he remains as prized a commodity as any in short-form cricket and will get the chance to return to his best.
JOSH HAZLEWOOD
The most consistent of the big three quicks in white-ball cricket across the past three years, Hazlewood’s supposed weakness of being too predictable has turned into a strength. His body has held up well across the last nine months too.
ADAM ZAMPA
Bore the brunt of Andre Russell’s blitz on Tuesday night but the leg-spinner has twice been pivotal to Australian World Cup titles and has a mortgage on a spot in the best XI.
GLENN MAXWELL
Ever oscillating from the sublime to the ridiculous, Maxwell has played four jaw-dropping international innings since late October. An automatic pick at No. 4 and an important spin option. Just needs to keep himself on the park.
PROBABLES
TIM DAVID
Had a middling Big Bash League season for the Hobart Hurricanes but put that behind him with an excellent series against the Windies to all but clinch his spot in the squad as a middle-order finisher.
JOSH INGLIS
Smacked a ton against India in November without doing too much in T20 internationals either side of that knock. But the West Australian’s array of shots, versatility within the order and the desirability of having two wicketkeepers means he is a highly likely squad member.
MATTHEW WADE
Lost his national contract almost three years ago but the keeper keeps on keeping on. Consistently productive at No. 7, the gloves are probably still his to lose.
TRAVIS HEAD
Hard to believe he was out of the national white-ball setup for so long given his powers of destruction at the top of the order. Highly likely to be opening with Warner come the World Cup unless he’s dramatically outdone by Steve Smith in New Zealand.
POSSIBLES
STEVE SMITH
There’s perhaps no player in the squad for the T20s against the Black Caps with more to play for than Smith, who could conceivably get squeezed out of the squad altogether if he doesn’t fire. Only struck at 124.56 across two matches in India and it’s hard to see where he fits in if not opening like he’s done for the Sydney Sixers.
MARCUS STOINIS
A faded force with the bat, the experienced all-rounder has in recent times been a strike weapon with the ball where his variations are a strength. Unlike some of the other fringe candidates, he has the benefit of an IPL deal to help convince selectors to go with him again.
NATHAN ELLIS
The white-ball specialist missed the Windies series through injury but the selectors are big fans of his ability at the death, an area where Australia copped it heavily in Perth. Appears to be narrowly ahead of a few others at this point but it’ll be touch and go.
MATT SHORT
Ultra-consistent in the BBL, an ill-timed injury ruled him out of the Windies T20s. But Short should be right to play in NZ where he needs to fire after a middling start to his international career. Versatility will help his case.
SEAN ABBOTT
Wasn’t set to tour NZ anyway but injury ruled him out of two of the three Windies matches. He was excellent in South Africa last year but copped it in India after the World Cup. Faces an uphill battle.
JASON BEHRENDORFF
Crowned Australian men’s T20 player of the year earlier this month and has expanded his repertoire to become more of a presence outside the power play. Was OK in a batter-dominated series against the Windies but Starc’s presence makes it a tight squeeze. Is on the books of Mumbai in the IPL.
CAMERON GREEN
The genuine wildcard, Green will stay in Australia to focus on red-ball cricket rather than head to NZ for the T20s. But selection chair George Bailey says the all-rounder is still in the mix, and a strong IPL could push him over the line given his ability to bat in the top three and bowl in the power play.
TANVEER SANGHA
The leg-spinner had an impressive initiation in South Africa and impressed in India too. Was left out of the Windies and NZ tours to allow him to play for NSW rather than sit on the bench but Bailey said a second spinner was definitely in play for the Carribbean.
ASHTON AGAR
The spinner has been a part of Australia’s last three T20 World Cup campaigns but hasn’t played a T20 international since October, 2022 and isn’t going to NZ either. Was solid if not spectacular in the BBL but his point of difference as a left-arm spinner works in his favour to be a squad member.
SMOKIES
Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson, Xavier Bartlett, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Ashton Turner, Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Chris Green
Johnson, Turner and Jhye Richardson all have IPL deals which gives them chances of making late charges, although in Richardson’s case fitness is inevitably a concern. Hardie is a highly promising player but didn’t quite do enough against the Windies to leapfrog more senior heads, while Fraser-McGurk is clearly on the radar and could yet make a late charge if picked up as a replacement player in the IPL. The others would all realistically need a spate of injuries.
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