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Australia appear to have narrowed their focus to 12 players for Monday’s opening World Cup game, leaving just one more decision to make about which player to leave out.
The defending champions haven’t been playing like world-beaters in losing their warm-up games to title contenders India and South Africa, but skipper Ricky Ponting has clearly been throwing the ball around and trying out combinations.
Express pace bowler Shaun Tait was rested for Sunday’s clash with India and wasn’t included in the batting eleven in the defeat against the Proteas, before taking the field when South Africa batted before bowling eight overs for 37.
Both sides were allowed to use their entire 15-man squads in the game, but Australia chose to leave out reserve wicketkeeper Tim Paine, back-up pace bowler Doug Bollinger and batsman Callum Ferguson.
Tait and Brett Lee look set to take the new ball for Australia against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad with left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson the likely first-change bowler.
Opener Shane Watson is a solid bowling option for several overs of medium pace.
Middle-order batsman and part-time spinner David Hussey is another player Ponting sees as an important contributor in the middle overs of Australia’s bowling innings.
But with leg-spinning all-rounder Steve Smith tipped to hold down the No.7 role, that effectively leaves all-rounder John Hastings and spinner Jason Krejza competing for one of the four frontline bowling spots alongside Johnson, Lee and Tait.
Medium-pacer Hastings (2-24 off six overs and 0-17 off three) did look capable at times of putting the brakes on heavy scoring during the warm-up fixtures.
Nicknamed “The Duke”, John Wayne Hastings has the ability to pile on runs quickly, cracking a six and a four in his 11-ball innings of 14 on Tuesday.
Krejza, the only frontline slow bowler in Australia’s squad, would in most people’s minds, have appeared a certainty to play given the six-week tournament is being staged on spin-friendly pitches in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.
But Krejza and Hastings, who have only eight one-day international matches experience between them, appear to be locked in an even battle.
Another possibility is that Smith is no certainty to play, however his all-round talents with bat, ball and in the field and his general enthusiasm strengthen his case.
Australia’s 1987 World Cup-winning captain Allan Border is calling for Hastings to play ahead of Krejza, while Michael Clarke is also impressed with the all-rounder’s form.
“I think ‘Hasto’ is a big chance. His change of pace and his accuracy are probably his two greatest strengths in these conditions,” vice-captain Clarke said on Tuesday.
“He’s also pretty with the bat as well, hits a clean ball as we’ve seen today.
“He’s certainly done himself plenty of favours through the Australian summer, and I think he bowled well tonight.
“It’s been good to see ‘Hasto’ get the opportunity in these two games. Now, conditions will dictate what the selectors are going to do.”
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