He just turned 43 on Thursday, but Brad Hogg shows no signs of slowing down. Things were evenly poised in the Big Bash grand final last Friday night until he came on.
Hoggy took the big wickets of Jonathan Wells and Travis Birt, only went for 17 runs in four overs and the Scorchers cruised to victory.
His match-winning performance showed us Hoggy is still the best spinner in Australia in the shortest form of the game and should be on the plane to Bangladesh for the T20 World Cup in March.
Another bonus for Hoggy is his experience. Considering the tournament is on the subcontinent two spinners may be taken, so Brad Hogg could offer heaps of experience to someone like James Muirhead or Cameron Boyce.
Joining him on the plane to Bangladesh should be the Big Bash player of the tournament Ben Dunk.
Dunk scored 395 runs in the tournament opening the batting for the Hobart Hurricanes and has been a really consistent performer.
The bonus with Ben Dunk is he is a very handy wicketkeeper so could take the gloves for the Aussies.
Other players that could find themselves joining Hoggy and Dunk in Bangladesh include 39-year-old Brad Hodge, who got a call up for Australia against England, and Chris Lynn, who is one of the biggest hitters in Australia and showed that for the Brisbane Heat.
One player who could miss out is injured all-rounder Shane Watson, he hasn’t played any Twenty20 cricket since the IPL and may have been overtaken by Cameron White in the pecking order.
Australia’s T20 World Cup squad will play three T20 matches in South Africa after the Test series as warm up for the World Cup.
My T20 World Cup squad (in batting order):
1. Dave Warner
2. Aaron Finch
3. Cameron White
4. Ben Dunk (wk)
5. George Bailey (c)
6. Chris Lynn
7. Glenn Maxwell
8. James Faulkner
9. Nathan Coulter Nile
10. Mitchell Starc
11. Brad Hogg
Reserves:
12. Shaun Marsh
13. Brad Hodge
14. Ben Cutting
15. Jackson Bird
16. James Muirhead
Scott Pryde
Expert
Marsh is doubtful because he is "injured"
Tom Dibble
Roar Rookie
Tim Paine is the biggest myth in Australian Cricket.
Tom Dibble
Roar Rookie
His record and his performances suggest that he isn't good enough at the moment.
Matt Sterne
Roar Rookie
Please point out another Aussie batsman with a T20 strike rate of just under 150. Obviously you missed him smashing 60 off 20 and a 90 odd against India late last year in the ODI series too. And a man of the match in one of the BBL matches. He is a freak and his all-round ability makes him one of the first picks in the team.
Kinga
Guest
White rolled over the arm during the T20 series against England and didn't look shocking. Also, doesn't Dunk rotate the keeping with Paine? It's certainly not because he doesn't have the skill to be full time. Could easily do it for a T20I.
Zac
Guest
Thats a great squad..probably the best available but if watson is fit he would replace cameron white.I really liked the inclusion of lynn.I also want to see cutting in the team but struggling to find any place for him.good job....
GD66
Guest
It's an exciting prospect : never thought I'd say that about a T20 squad a couple of years ago ! Big thanks to the mob at Ten for giving us all an opportunity to see all the prospects in action from our lounge chairs, instead of guessing from stats and skewed reports in the paper and on the radio like the old days. But somehow you get the feeling the selectors got less of a thrill from this year's BB03 than the paying public...we shall see...
Dan Ced
Roar Rookie
on form you'd have to go with Paine.. but I like what I've seen of Whiteman with gloves AND bat. One to watch for the future. Wade is terribly out of form with the bat, putting him up the order for the stars probably lost them the semi. His keeping has always been average.
DJW
Guest
Can't believe people are suggesting pick Matthew Wade. His is totally out of form with the bat and on keeping ability probably the worst state keeper. Paine or Whiteman for keeper for me. I did think of Dunk but as I have never seen him keep I don't know how he would go.
Robert More
Guest
I like that squad, but I think you should pick Wade of Paine and play Dunk as a specialist batsman and back-up keeper
Dan Ced
Roar Rookie
Klinger Finch Watson White Bailey (c) Lynn Paine Faulkner Coulter-Nile Starc Hogg I will leave Warner and Bird out of the squad, keep them in Test mode. Watson out of the test team. I'd like Coulter-Nile out of the squad but he is taking plenty of T20 wickets so he gets in. Squad: Maxwell Dunk Cutting Muirhead
Renegade
Roar Guru
Great squad and i would make only two changes to that starting line up. If fit, Watson in for Maxwell and Paine in for Dunk. Watson is a far better player in every aspect with bat and ball and dominates the T20 format. I would keep White in the side because he is in blistering form and Maxwell would go into the extended squad taking Hodge's spot. The alternative is play Maxwell for the 6th bowling option and White can sit out. Paine is a better wicketkeeper and just as handy with the bat than Dunk. That said, Dunk keeps his spot in the squad as reserve Batsman and keeper meaning Marsh goes. My team: Warner Finch Watson White (or Paine if Maxwell plays) Bailey (c) Lynn Paine (wk) (or Maxwell if White is benched) Faulkner Coulter-Nile Starc Hogg Squad: White/Maxwell Dunk Cutting Bird Muirhead
Ian
Guest
I'd be happy to see Dunk get picked, but as a batsman. I'd pick Paine as the keeper. He kept well and batted decently in the BBL, and has international experience.
Punter
Guest
Not a bad lineup but I reckon MJ will go ahead of Bird or Cutting. You have made a massive call on Watson, despite any inconsistencies he has had in Test match cricket he has remained on of the premeir T20 players in the world. He was player of the tournament at the last T20 WC (he won the first 4 matches off his own back) and is the only player to have won 2 IPL player of the tournaments. He has often performed in T20 on the back of injuries or very little short term cricket. White has been in good nick this year but is not in the same T20 class as Watson who is currently Aus highest ranked T20 bowler as well.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Great squad, I wouldn't have it any other way. EXCEPT I'd add Matthew Wade in as the keeper and Ben Dunk will stay but as a batsman.
Shifty Xr
Guest
Why is Marsh doubtful?
Adam Ludeke
Roar Pro
Got to pick Tim Paine as the specialist keeper... too risky giving that job to Dunk. Maxwell did very little in the BBL to earn a berth. 1. WARNER 2. FINCH 3. WATSON 4. MARSH 5. BAILEY (C) 6. LYNN 7. PAINE 8. FAULKNER 9. CUMMINS 10. STARC 11. HOGG
bryan
Guest
What about Mitchy? He was playing against the Poms in the 20/20 in England. He only missed the Indian 20/20 due to flying home for the Ashes. I suspect the only reason he missed the 20/20 in Australia was to prepare for South Africa. But there will be nothing to prepare for when the World cup rolls around, so I would say he is in with a pretty decent chance.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
But he can hit a mean reverse sweep, so he must be good right? I think Maxwell should be struggling to make the squad, unfortunately, the selectors seem to really like him and will probably pick him anyway.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Then only thing about that top 11 is you've really only got 5 players who can bowl at all, and that includes Maxwell. I wouldn't include White as a bowling option as he's barely bowled in any capacity recently. It's really useful having that sixth bowler so if someone is having a bad day and getting hammered you have some other option to go to. I think they'd want to try and squeeze one more batting allrounder in the starting lineup if possible. Also, while Dunk might be a handy wicket-keeper, the fact he doesn't keep for his state at Shield level or one day level, nor for his BBL team, I think it would be unlikely that the selectors would opt for him as the first choice keeper in the squad, especially when you aren't picking anyone else who can keep. He could well be picked as a player who could be a backup keeping option if something happens to the main keeper, but I can't see him getting picked as the only keeper in the squad. Unfortunately, despite his keeping being poor and his batting not much better, the selectors keep persisting with Wade as the keeper in the short form of the game. Wade made some seriously costly stuff-ups through the Australia v England T20's, but fortunately Australia were so much better than England that they didn't end up mattering too much. They really need to pick someone more secure with the gloves, and I don't know that going to someone who very rarely dons the gloves even at domestic level is the answer.