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Australia’s recent undefeated run in the T20 tri-series against England and New Zealand suggests that they may have got this shorter format right.
While the improvement in the world rankings from seventh to second arguably says more about the ranking system than it does about the Australian team, we now have a team that can at least be competitive in the 2020 T20 World Cup held at home in Australia.
All teams will go in with a squad of 15. For Australia, the eleven who played in last Wednesday night’s final are safe providing all are fit. Therefore, the following players are effectively locked in.
Batsmen: David Warner, D’Arcy Short, Chris Lynn, Aaron Finch.
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar, Marcus Stoinis
Wicketkeeper: Alex Carey
Bowlers: Billy Stanlake, Andrew Tye, Kane Richardson
So, with the Australian Test team seemingly all available for the T20 World Cup, who else comes into the 15 man squad?
Firstly, it won’t be Steve Smith. Smith averages 21.5 in T20 internationals and his strike rate of 122 is probably not enough. Recent Australian success has been built around all Australian batsmen going hard at the ball from the first over.
If one of the top six posts a score and the rest score quickly around him, a formidable total results. David Warner will be captain.
Although Maxwell could be included as a batsman alone, we’ve included him as an allrounder giving us spots for two more batsmen. Although not from the Test squad, Ashton Turner should be one.
Though his lack of bowling in the last BBL series rules him out of an all-rounder role, his 252 runs at an average of 31.5 and strike rate of 163 gets him in the squad as an additional batsman.
The other batsman in the squad probably comes down to Usman Khawaja or Mitchell Marsh. Surprisingly, both players have only played nine T20s for their country but Khawaja’s average and strike rate are both ahead of Mitchell Marsh.
His brilliant strokeplay through his few games for the Sydney Thunder in the season just past showed us that he is more than capable in this format and should be selected.
That leaves us spots for an additional two bowlers to complete the 15 man squad. On Australian wickets, having spin options in Agar, Maxwell and potentially Ashton Turner is probably enough.
Adam Zampa would be desperately unlucky to miss the squad but I just can’t find room for him.
My two last bowling spots have to go to Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. Both have economy rates better than any of the other bowlers listed and their strike rates are comparable.
Both Cummins and Starc are also strong hitters of the ball so that the Australian batting line-up is just that bit longer if required.
So, two years out, my 15 man squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020 is:
Batsmen: David Warner (captain), D’Arcy Short, Chris Lynn, Aaron Finch, Ashton Turner, Usman Khawaja.
Allrounders: Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar, Marcus Stoinis
Wicketkeeper: Alex Carey
Bowlers: Billy Stanlake, Andrew Tye, Kane Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Patrick Cummins.
My team for the first game would line up something like this:
Warner
Short
Lynn
Maxwell
Finch
Stoinis
Carey
Agar
Cummins
Starc
Tye.
That is a team that you would expect would be very difficult to beat. Feel free to agree, disagree or post your own squad!
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