Travis Head says star batters can make the ODI shift needed to open Champions Trophy with a bang
Soldiers with machine guns outside the team hotel isn’t the only concerning issue for the Australian squad at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
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Travis Head has a comfort that the “versatile” nature of the key Australian batters who make up the Champions Trophy squad can make the white-ball shift they need to ensure a fast start against England on Saturday despite two smashings by Sri Lanka.
But he conceded the heightened security “bubble” the players had experienced since arriving in Pakistan was something some of the less experienced played in the squad needed to adapt to.
Armed guards met the Australians on arrival and there remains a heavy security presence around the team hotel and training with escorts for players to and from the grounds.
“Very tight security, I knew what I was coming to sort of in that bubble aspect of things with the travel and to and from the ground,” he said.
“Guys will do different things in downtime. Maybe they haven’t been here before or haven’t experienced that hard security bubble, but that’s what we’re in and being ready to go.”
Head, who joked he’s never out of “white-ball mode”, is among a quartet of players who helped take down Sri Lanka in the two-Test series before battling in two ODIs, the final preparation for the 50-over tournament in Pakistan.
Captain Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Josh Inglis, two of whom made red-ball hundreds in Galle, will be relied upon heavily among a cast of other less experienced batters, including out-of-form Jake Fraser McGurk and rookie opener Matt Short.
The batters outstrip the bowlers in terms of tournament experience as well, with Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood not in Pakistan.
Head knows the importance of a fast start in a quickfire tournament also, and the player of the match in Australia’s 2023 World Cup win said a first win was key.
“It’s been spoken about,” Head said, knowing previous tournaments have started slowly for the Australians.
“But it’s not trying to build anticipation or anxiety around that. It’s about going out and executing what we do well, being relaxed and calm around things.
“We need to use the next four days to prepare well to make sure we hit the ground running.
“You don’t have the luxury of a World Cup with a lot of games to work into a tournament and can pinpoint games that are maybe more important than others when you’re navigating through tournament play.
“Here it’s pretty cutthroat, it’s pretty much knockout, and you’ve got to start well.”
Australia have only played 13 one-dayers since lifting the World Cup trophy in Ahmedabad and only two ODIs in the past three months, including a record loss to Sri Lanka last week with the same players who are in Pakistan.
But Head, who only played one of those games for a score of 18, is confident everyone can shift into gear quickly.
“Am I ever out of white-ball mode?” he joked.
“No format really bothers me too much.
“There have been a few guys who have been in the Test team over the summer. They haven’t played a lot of white-ball cricket (recently), but those guys are pretty versatile and have played a lot of international cricket
“Then the guys coming in have come off a Big Bash summer. They’ve played a lot of white-ball cricket – I know it’s T20 cricket … but I feel we’ll be in a good position.
“I feel like we’re experienced enough in that batting unit that the guys that have been playing red-ball cricket can transition pretty well and have done in the past.”
England pace ace Jofra Archer has been cleared to take on Australia after missing the final two ODIs against India earlier this month due to a cut on his right hand.
Originally published as Travis Head says star batters can make the ODI shift needed to open Champions Trophy with a bang
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