Australia reveals squad for India T20 series

Cameron Green will get a chance to make a late bid for a spot in Australia’s World T20 squad as injury clouds hover over at least two important players.

Marcus Stoinis is out of the India series. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Cameron Green could be one step away from a shock World Cup call-up as Australian stars prepare to meet new teammate Tim David for the first time.

Captain Aaron Finch’s form slump is not Australia’s only concern five weeks out from its T20 title defence on home soil, with Mitchell Marsh (ankle), Marcus Stoinis (side strain) and Mitchell Starc (knee soreness) all ruled out of next week’s T20 series in India.

All-rounder Marsh, the player of the final at last year’s World Cup, is understood to be the biggest concern out of the three, but Australian medical staff expect the stars to all prove their fitness before the World Cup – with Stoinis himself the hero of the 2021 semi-final against Pakistan.

Concern over Starc is particularly precautionary and based largely on the amount of flights Australia are taking on their hit-and-run tour of India.

Mitchell Starc will miss with knee soreness. Picture: AFP

However, if a hiccup was to occur and fitness issues were to curtail the bowling ability of allrounders Marsh and Stoinis before or during the tournament, selectors would have to seriously consider Green who is waiting in the wings and is set to get a chance to impress in India with the squad flying out on Thursday morning.

Pacemen Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis and Daniel Sams have been called into the squad.

The injuries to Stoinis and Marsh also guarantee uncapped international man of mystery David he debut for Australia in India next week.

“I think I’m surprised by Greeny every time he plays really … his bowling just goes from strength to strength every time he ties the boots up,” said Josh Hazlewood at the launch of Australia’s indigenous-themed World Cup jersey.

“With a couple of guys out injured at the moment, it’s probably a good opportunity to get him in a couple of games. Mitch marsh and Stoinis are injured, so he could slide in and maybe take one of those roles for this tour.

“When we’re at full strength he’s probably just a touch off at the moment, but as we’ve seen, it won’t be long.”

As Australian players modelled their new World Cup strips designed by Aunty Fiona Clarke, they were getting their heads around the bizarre prospect of having to introduce themselves to a teammate they’ve never met before.

David, the big-hitting right-hander set to burst into the Aussie XI, has never represented his country and is as much an unknown to Australian players as he is the cricketing public having forced his way into the side off the back of his form in franchise leagues in India and Pakistan.

Tim David is in line for a national debut. Picture: Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images

“I look forward to meeting him,” admits Mitchell Starc of his lack of familiarity with David.

“He’s obviously plied his trade around the world in different leagues. He’s got his opportunity now in the World Cup squad.

“He has this next week in India to get amongst the group and I think a few of us will meet him for the first time and see what he’s like.

“I’m much the same as (the public), I’ve seen him on TV. Obviously that power and what he brings to the table to any team he plays for and now he has a chance to do that on the international stage.”

Finch has a chance to ease the pressure on him as captain by breaking his run drought in India, a country where he has traditionally batted well in as a veteran of the IPL.

Glenn Maxwell said Finch’s role as captain at a World Cup shouldn’t be underestimated even if the runs don’t come.

“It’s a very underrated thing in T20 cricket, you think it’s all helter skelter … but he’s really good tactically and don’t discount his value as captain,” Maxwell said.

Why won’t Cricket Australia show Steve Smith some love?

Steve Smith is set to be squeezed out of the Big Bash due to a stunning standoff with Cricket Australia, who are refusing to top up his contract like they did for David Warner.

Multiple cricket sources have confirmed to News Corp that the Sixers have offered Smith approximately $145,000 for five matches this summer, made up of a playing contract of $45,000 and an ‘Additional Service Agreement’ permitted outside the cap, worth $100,000.

In total, the offer made to Smith by the Sixers sits in the same ballpark as the estimated $140,000-$160,000 the Sydney Thunder are paying towards Warner’s landmark BBL deal.

Australian fans are unlikely to see Steve Smithe Big Bash this summer. Picture: Mark Evans – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Yet while Warner has had his BBL earnings more than doubled to an estimated $350,000 thanks to a Cricket Australia-paid marketing contract, the governing body has told Smith – their Test vice-captain – they won’t be opening the purse strings for him at all.

The extraordinary fallout is set to cost the Big Bash one of cricket’s biggest superstars, with Smith getting no joy from personally speaking to CA chief Nick Hockley last week.

Smith has rejected the offer from the Sixers, but has revealed if Cricket Australia were to come to the party with their own financial incentive, he would seriously consider playing.

“It would certainly give me something to think about, yeah,” Smith told News Corp.

“There’s still a while before those games that we’re all (Test players) available for, so we’ll wait and see.

“ … The Sixers are great. I’ve loved working with the Sixers for a long time.”

Cricket NSW CEO Lee Germon is adamant there’s nothing more his organisation can do to make a deal happen.

“Cricket NSW and the Sixers have had a very open dialogue with Steve Smith and his management,” Germon told News Corp in a statement.

There’s no doubt David Warner is a huge ?BBL drawcard. Picture: Ian Bird/CNSW

“We put an offer to Steve that included the maximum amount remaining in the Sixers’ salary cap and a marketing contract on top of that figure.

“The marketing contract was by far the biggest we have ever offered a player and we believe we have exhausted every option available to us to have Steve join the Sixers this season.

“Our last correspondence was that Steve has decided not to take up that offer and we respect that.”

Originally, CA felt the Sydney Sixers and Cricket NSW weren’t doing enough to put up cash for Smith themselves, but even after the $100,000 ASA agreement was outlined last week, the governing body has not altered its hard line stance.

Cricket Australia’s position is the marketing deal afforded to Warner is a special case in direct response to the poaching threat posed by the rival UAE T20 League, and can’t simply be repeated at a whim for other Test stars.

News Corp understands CA also told the Perth Scorchers they weren’t in a position to offer next-big-thing Cameron Green a supplementary marketing deal. While there’s been no sign of CA offering help to Ricky Ponting and the Hobart Hurricanes in secret talks to try convince Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc to make a BBL cameo in Tasmania.

However, there is no doubt Smith has looked at the precedent set by CA topping up Warner – as have other players – and asked, ‘what about me?’

Smith is still miffed that he wanted to play in last year’s BBL for $2000 a game, only to be blocked by competition rules, and feels his history of putting in for the BBL when available and taking only match payments has been taken for granted.

There is no doubt Warner is on a different level to Smith as a T20 player, and the possibility the super savvy left-hand opener could retire from Test cricket in the not too distant future (and therefore be available for an entire Big Bash campaign) made him the rightful No. 1 priority.

However, as a drawcard in Sydney and the BBL in general, Smith is a colossal presence in his own right and the prospect of the pair facing off against each other in the Sydney derby on January 21 would be the Big Bash event of the season which fans may now be robbed of.

Cricket Australia deserves credit for pouring unprecedented effort and resources into what is already shaping as the biggest Big Bash since the early glory days and they are adamant their budget for recruiting stars has been virtually used up on the draft.

However, at such a unique juncture where the BBL is entering the shopfront window for the next TV rights deal and a new permanent MOU agreement with the players is just around the corner anyway … many are asking … ‘why would you not try and go the extra mile to get Smith and Pat Cummins etc on the field?’

Exceptions like CA paying South African Faf du Plessis an $10,000 marketing deal to promote the Big Bash (and not even be taken in the draft) were made in the spirit that this was a ‘whatever-it-takes’ year before the long-term security of the competition is shored-up.

Yet there is no money left to try and incentivise Smith, who would make an infinitely greater impact on the competition than du Plessis and Andre Russell ever could … even if they were actually playing.

CA maintain they are desperate for Smith to play in the BBL and remain hopeful he will change his mind and accept the Sixers offer.

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Originally published as Australia reveals squad for India T20 series