Cricket Australia seek Twenty20 dominance

It’s the one form the Australia has yet to dominate – Twenty20. In Australia, the shortest form of the game has often been pushed to the side in order to concentrate on the longer forms, particularly Test cricket.

But with the success of the Big Bash League, Cricket Australia will look to blast all and sundry come the T20 World Cup in March.

While Twenty20 cricket itself is quite young, Australia’s squad contains some of the oldest international cricketers going around.

Named in the squad is the ever-youthful 43-year-old Brad Hogg who will be the oldest player in the tournament, along with the unluckiest man in International cricket, Brad Hodge and the fountain of youth, Brad Haddin.

In the past Australia has often tinkered with its T20 side, looking to give youngsters a taste of international cricket. This time they are going with a good mix of youth and experience.

There will not be a single debutante in Bangladesh for Australia. But the age gap spans two decades. Brad Hogg is old enough to be James Muirhead’s father and given the spinning nature of Bangladeshi pitches we may see both of them in the side at the same time.

Included in the squad are plenty of power house batsmen including Cameron White, David Warner, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch as well as big-hitting all-rounders James Faulkner, Shane Watson and Dan Christian.

The full squad is as follows: George Bailey (c), Dan Christian, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Glenn Maxwell, James Muirhead, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson and Cameron White.