- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The world’s two best limited-overs spinners Imran Tahir and Sunil Narine will greet Australia in their ODI tri-series starting this week on what are likely to be slow, dry Caribbean pitches.
Playing their first ODIs since they lost 1-2 against the Kiwis in New Zealand in February, Australia’s ability to handle the slow men will be tested.
They will, however, be facing a South African side missing champion quick Dale Steyn and a West Indian line-up without a clutch of talented players.
Limited-overs stars Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Chris Gayle and Darren Sammy all were absent from the 14-man squad named by the West Indies for the first four matches of the tri-series. While the Windies traditionally are more competitive in their home conditions, their squad looks particularly short on batting.
Veterans Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels are the only two accomplished ODI batsmen in the squad, which is heavy on all-rounders. Their line-up would be far stronger if it included the likes of Gayle, Russell and Dwayne Bravo. The politics of Caribbean cricket continues to hamstring the West Indian team, particularly in the Test and ODI formats.
They may be coming off an incredible World T20 triumph in March but they will struggle to push the dominant Australians and an impressive Proteas outfit.
Even without Steyn, South Africa still will field a fine attack. Quality pacemen Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott will be complemented by the best spinner in ODI cricket Tahir. With 92 wickets at an average of 24 from 54 ODIs, Tahir owns a formidable record.
Australia are his bogey side, though. Across six ODIs and three Test matches, Tahir has the horrendous figures of nine wickets at 75 against the Aussies. The leg spinner will be aided by the parched pitches and should, regardless of history, pose a significant challenge to the Australian batsmen.
The reigning ODI World Cup champions have the best balanced squad of the three teams. A top four of David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja/George Bailey is the equal of any in world cricket.
Khawaja and George Bailey look to be fighting for one spot in the top four. The former’s touch across all formats has been extraordinary for the past nine months. Bailey does, however, have a wonderful ODI record away from home, with 1306 runs at 48 on the road.
At five, belligerent all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will offer Australia a handy second spin option. Behind him at six, Mitchell Marsh has come of age as an ODI cricketer. He has been rampant in his past eight matches, clattering 274 runs at 68 to go with 14 wickets at 23.
Keeper Matthew Wade is lucky to be in the team given his consistently underwhelming efforts with both bat and gloves in the ODI format.
Australia’s attack looks potent thanks to the return from injury of the world’s best limited-overs bowler Mitchell Starc and the emergence of gifted young spinner Adam Zampa.
Although Test off spinner Nathan Lyon has far more experience in international cricket than Zampa, the leggie has impressed greatly in his few matches for Australia and has been on fire in the Indian Premier League.
Together with the unerring accuracy and lift of Josh Hazlewood, and the variations of James Faulkner, Australia have a fantastic attack. They deserve to start this tri-series as hot favourites.
Australia squad for Caribbean Tri-Series
Steven Smith, David Warner, George Bailey, Scott Boland, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade (wk), Adam Zampa.
Australia’s best XI
1. David Warner
2. Aaron Finch
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Steve Smith
5. Glenn Maxwell
6. Mitch Marsh
7. Matthew Wade
8. James Faulkner
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Adam Zampa
11. Josh Hazlewood
South Africa squad
Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), AB de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi.
South Africa’s best XI
1. Hashim Amla
2. Quinton de Kock
3. Faf du Plessis
4. Ab de Villiers
5. Rilee Rossouw
6. Jean-Paul Duminy
7. Chris Morris
8. Kyle Abbott
9. Morne Morkel
10. Kagiso Rabada
11. Imran Tahir
West Indies squad
Jason Holder, Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor.
West Indies best XI
1. Johnson Charles
2. Andre Fletcher
3. Darren Bravo
4. Marlon Samuels
5. Kieron Pollard
6. Denesh Ramdin
7. Jason Holder
8. Carlos Brathwaite
9. Sunil Narine
10. Sulieman Benn
11. Jerome Taylor