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A veteran-packed side with an average age of 31 would be my choice for Australia’s opening match of the World T20 tournament in Bangladesh next week.
Old-stagers Brad Hogg and Brad Hodge, with a combined age of 82, would provide invaluable experience and composure in the one major international cricket tournament Australia are yet to win.
MY TEAM
1. David Warner
2. Aaron Finch
3. Shane Watson
4. Cameron White
5. George Bailey
6. Brad Hodge
7. Brad Haddin
8. James Faulkner
9. Nathan Coulter-Nile
10. Mitchell Starc
11. Brad Hogg
Who missed out: Glenn Maxwell, James Muirhead, Dan Christian, Doug Bollinger
The Aussies’ first match is against the unpredictable Pakistan on Sunday at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Australia have a poor record against the Pakistanis, having triumphed in just four of their 11 encounters in the shortest form of the game.
Even worse, they have won just one of their past six matches against Pakistan.
In the last T20 World Cup, in 2012, the Aussies were in rampant form early on, winning their first four matches against Ireland, the West Indies, India and South Africa.
Consecutive losses to Pakistan and then the West Indies, in the semi-finals, saw them fail to capitalise on that momentum.
Australia’s recent struggles against Pakistan in T20 have largely been due to their inability to counter canny off spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez.
The last time the teams met, which was in the 2012 tournament, Ajmal and Hafeez combined for 5-39 from their eight overs.
As a result of being strangled by that pair, Australia could only crawl to 7-117 from their 20 overs in pursuit of 150.
The Aussie side I have chosen has a clutch of batsmen who can force the pace against slow bowlers.
Shane Watson, George Bailey and Brad Hodge are all masterful players of spin at limited overs level, capable of disrupting the rhythm of even the best tweakers.
The former pair routinely loft spinners into the stands, while Hodge is defter but can also prove destructive when necessary.
Similarly, Brad Haddin and James Faulkner in the lower order are able to dispatch spinners from the moment they arrive at the crease.
Opposition sides will be wary of the batting firepower Australia possess and will try to choke them with spin on the slow, dry decks expected in Bangladesh.
Despite the conditions, the Aussies may play to their strengths by fielding a pace-heavy attack.
They have selected just two specialist spin bowlers in their squad, who together form a truly odd couple.
Chinaman bowler Brad Hogg, at 43 years old, has been paired with 20-year-old leg spinner James Muirhead, who had only just been born when Hogg made his professional debut.
Muirhead may be a promising wrist spinner but I would not select him in my starting XI ahead of the vastly-experienced Hogg.
I would back Australia’s potent pace battery of Mitchell Starc, James Faulkner, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Shane Watson, leaving any support spin duties to Hodge and Cameron White.
Should Australia’s attack appear too pace-reliant against Pakistan, consideration could be given to either playing Muirhead in addition to Hogg, or including spinning all-rounder Glenn Maxwell at the expense of Hodge or White.
Australia may be ranked fifth in the World T20 standings but, make no mistake, they are a massive chance of taking out the title.