Marcus Stoinis is in doubt for the Champions Trophy just over two weeks out from Australia’s first warm-up match after injuring his shoulder in the IPL. Who, then, are his potential replacements?
The all-rounder will later this week get scans on his shoulder, which he hurt during a fielding warm-up with his IPL team Kings XI Punjab on Friday.
Australia will be very reticent to take a risk on Stoinis given there are already concerns about the health of squad members Mitchell Starc and Chris Lynn. Fast bowler Starc has been on the sidelines since suffering a stress fracture in his foot during the Test series in India two months ago.
Attacking batsman Lynn, meanwhile, has only just returned from yet another injury. The physically fragile Queenslander missed almost a month of the IPL after injuring his left shoulder diving in the field in an IPL game in early April. That was the third time in two years he had injured the same shoulder.
With David Warner, Aaron Finch and Steve Smith the only other specialist batsmen in Australia’s 15-man squad, Australia are light on for batting options. They went heavy on batting all-rounders picking Stoinis, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell and Moises Henriques.
That was a gamble considering Australia’s middle order has been the weakest component of its ODI side for the past 18 months now. The selectors decided against picking a solid batsman who could provide a steady middle order presence like George Bailey, Shaun Marsh or Callum Ferguson, or including another top-order batsman in Usman Khawaja.
(AAP Image/SNPA, Ross Setford)
If Stoinis’ injury is serious, or if he is deemed too big a risk to take to England, the selectors may change tack and replace him with a specialist batsman. Why? Because there are no batting all-rounders left in Australia who offer an attractive option.
Mitch Marsh, arguably Australia’s best batting all-rounder, is out injured. His Western Australia teammate Hilton Cartwright was included in Australia’s ODI squad for the home series against New Zealand last December but did not play a game.
Cartwright is a fantastic first-class cricketer and deserves to be next in line for a Test middle order berth. But he is still very much a work-in-progress as a white ball cricketer and has a poor List A record, averaging 26 with the bat and 39 with the ball.
Australia have a far better batting all-rounder already in their squad in Henriques. The NSW captain has been in stunning form with the blade over the past three years, making 882 runs at an average of 55 in the domestic One Day competition.
Henriques is currently having a sensational IPL campaign, averaging 57 with the bat, and is fresh from a dominant Sheffield Shield season, in which he piled up 775 runs at 65. He is in the form of his career. While he has tended to underbowl himself as captain of NSW, Henriques is a decent stump-to-stump medium pacer who is just as useful with the ball as Stoinis.
(AAP Image/Daniel Munoz)
If Stoinis is unavailable then Henriques, Maxwell and Head would provide Australia with sufficient all-rounder options. That is why Stoinis’ replacement, if required, should be a specialist batsman not another all-rounder like Cartwright.
Khawaja could be in the mix. But, as an opening batsman, it could count against him that there are already three players in Warner, Finch and Head whose best position is at the top of the order. Australia would be tempted to pick a middle order specialist like Bailey, or a versatile player such as Shaun Marsh, who has batted in every single position in the order from one to seven across his 53 ODIs.
In a squad already boasting aggressive ball strikers in Warner, Finch, Lynn, Maxwell and Head, a more subtle strokemaker like Bailey or Marsh could provide some required balance.
There is a very real chance, however, that Khawaja, Bailey and Marsh all could be leapfrogged by Peter Handscomb. The 26-year-old Victorian has made a fantastic start to his Test career, averaging 54 after eight matches, and earned his ODI debut against Pakistan in January.
He underwhelmed in his five ODIs, scoring just 90 runs at an average of 22. Handscomb, Bailey and Marsh each have one major advantage over Khawaja – they are currently playing and in good form.
Khawaja hasn’t played a professional match in almost four months. Meanwhile, Marsh is having a very good IPL season, averaging 44 with the bat. Bailey has made 152 runs at 76 in three matches for Hampshire in England’s domestic One Day Cup.
And Handscomb is dominating that competition with 407 runs at 102 and a scorching strike rate of 113. That ballistic form, combined with the fact he is a middle order specialist, may well earn him a Champions Trophy berth if Stoinis is ruled out in the coming days.
Greg
Roar Rookie
Agreed Ronan. I think it's down to Handscomb and Bailey, since they're both playing in England at the moment. If the selectors maintain their preference towards youth, Handscomb will get the nod over Bailey.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Cummins has certainly been hitting them well, played a couple of nice cameo's in the IPL lately also.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
That could work Nudge, but I just think Head has looked much better in the top order in ODIs when he's had time to build an innings. Head's averaged 55 when batting in the top four compared to 31 down at 5/6/7. His strike rate is also way better up top - 102 compared to 81 in the middle order. Head opens for SA in 50-over cricket, I think it's easily his best position.
Nudge
Guest
Wade has been more than rock solid Ronan in the 50 over format of late. I just think the way Handscomb is batting if he did come in at 4 there would be a lot more stability in the middle order which we haven't had in a while. In the only one day match Lynn played last summer he was playing 20/20 shots and perished with the Aussies at around 4 for not many with 30 or more overs still left. Wade, Warner, Smith and Handscomb is a pretty reliable top 4 let them set the platform and then let the likes of Head, Lynn, Maxwell and Henriques go crazy in the last 15 or so overs.
James Jackson
Guest
Good team Ronan, I'd put Cummins ahead of Starc in the batting order as my personal preference
AREH
Roar Guru
I also wonder is 4 perhaps a spot too high for Lynn? I suppose the earlier Australia utilise the power hitting they have on hand the better, yet I can't recall him batting so high very often for QLD - he seems to be a perfect number 5 in ODI cricket as he can ideally arrive at the crease with 20 or so overs remaining, allowing him to naturally start the clean ball-striking he is in there for - if picked.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Nudge I reckon Wade is badly needed at 7 where he's been playing a crucial role either finishing off the innings aggressively or, more importantly, rescuing Australia with plucky knocks after the top six failed. He's been fantastic with the bat over the past year in ODIs - he's an insurance policy for Aus down the order in case their aggressive middle order gets rolled.
Nudge
Guest
Yeah I would mate. He'd be pretty solid up the top. He could play second fiddle around Warner but still go at close to a run a ball. Having Lynn, Maxwell coming in in the 40th over would be pretty dangerous
BurgyGreen
Guest
I think Lynn will definitely play at 4 ahead of Handscomb, and I think that's the right decision. Despite his awful ODI performances so far I'm willing to give Henriques a shot at 6. Handscomb on the bench to come in for either Lynn or Henriques as necessary. As for the bowling, if we end up not playing Henriques then Smith simply must be willing to bowl Maxwell and Head. Maxwell has bowled fairly well in the IPL this season. To be completely honest I don't rate Henriques's bowling much higher than Head and Maxwell these days. With Mitch Marsh and Stoinis out we simply don't have a batting allrounder who can bowl quality seam, so we'll have to either make do with what we've got or consider playing Faulkner at 7 as a bowling allrounder, which of course weakens our batting significantly.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
He's not in the squad, and they aren't going to replace a batting allrounder with another fast bowler. We are pretty well covered in the squad with fast bowling options, Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Pattinson, Hastings.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I feel like, assuming his fitness holds, we have to find some way of getting Lynn in there. He's in imperious form at the moment, even coming in and out of injury it seems to make no difference, he's straight back in hitting them well!
Swampy
Guest
I'm not sure what sort of bowling attacks people face in the IPL - from games I've seen there are guys who look likely under 12 prospects amongst each attack. Much the same in county cricket - weakened by so many other matches around the world running concurrently. I have no problem with Handscomb being given a run but seriously Khawaja has got be a trifle hard done by - his one day form is far superior to Finchy's and he's an opener that help when the inevitable collapse occurs. In actual fact looking at how volatile the lineup is I would seriously consider Ed Cowan lol. That team could score 500 but it also may frequently score 165 all out. On a sensible note, Henriques or Bailey have shown in the past that they can knuckle down with chaos all around to at least get us to a score to defend. Faulkner used to excell at this also but CA have basically battered him into submission since his drink driving episode.
jameswm
Roar Guru
You'd open with Wade Nudge?
Nudge
Guest
Now that Handscomb has found a formula that works for him in 50 over cricket, I'd be telling Stoinis his scans came back no good. Handscomb is smashing runs in the 50 over English league and would have to be the leading and most consistent player over there right now. He should be the third batsman picked behind Smith and Warner in my opinion. The last spot I think should be between Lynn and Henriques. Wade Warner Smith Handscomb Head Maxwell Henriques/Lynn Cummins Starc Zampa Hazlewood
Ross
Guest
Couldn't agree more Jamesw, Khawaja averages over 50 in domestic one day crickey and he got 3 games this summer and was wrongly taken out of the final odi at Adelaide where he was denied the chance to bat on a good batting pitch. Finch on the other hand has averaged in tbr 30s in thr last year for Australia and 22 in tbr IPL this year, it beggars belief that finch has been picked ahead of Khawaja, I am a fan of hamdscombe but finch has had a million chances and continues to fail
Ross
Guest
Couldn't agrrr more Jamesw, Khawaja averages over 50 in domestic one day crickey and he got 3 games this summer and was wrongly taken out of the final odi at Adelaide where he was denied the chance to bat on a good batting pitch. Finch on the other hand has averaged in tbr 30s in thr last year for Australia and 22 in tbr IPL this year, it beggars belief that finch has been picked ahead of Khawaja, I am a fan of hamdscombe but finch has had a million chances and continues to fail
Stephen
Guest
I know i am in the minority here but what about Billy stanlake. He made encouraging one-day and T20 international debuts last summer and his potential was underlined with a call-up to the Indian Premier League, where he’s played two matches so far for Royal Challengers Bangalore. If he can stay fit, Stanlake’s name is one likely to feature in future national squads.
Stephen
Guest
Surely we can move past shaun marsh now, he leepfroged Khawaja in the India tests and averaged 18, he is a good player but he keeps breaking down with injury and seems to get all his runs either in the IPL or in Sri lanka, at 33 lets move on now. Khawaja should come in. He opened the batting in three of Australia’s five ODIs against Pakistan in January but faced stiff competition for a top-order berth for the showpiece event. He averages 53 at domestic one day level, only bevan and smith have done better, lets stop making excsues and get him in if there is a injury. Bailey is anotther one to consider but he didn't do too well in his last 20 games for Australia. The Tasmanian was dropped after recording 288 runs at 36 in his 10 previous ODI innings before the Pakistan series.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
JamesH the big difference is that in that series you mention is that Pakistan are the 8th ranked ODI team in the world and a very poor ODI batting outfit. It's one thing getting 10 overs out of Head against a feeble batting side in a meaningless bi-lateral series, it's a whole other thing asking him to take heavy responsibility with the ball against the powerful batting lineups of SA/India/Eng. Head hasn't been tested out against India or England yet and when he played SA his bowling was absolutely hammered - 1 for 117 at just under 8 runs per over. It would be a big risk to plan the whole tournament around getting 10 overs out of him and Maxwell (who as I said Smith seems intent on never bowling).
JamesH
Roar Guru
Ronan, Australia were perfectly happy to play with Head and Maxwell as the 5th and 6th bowlers on a couple of occasions against Pakistan this summer (with Head bowling 10 overs and Maxwell 0 in each match!). But I think your lineup there is just about right. The only thing I would add is that Lynn was in the squad ahead of Bailey/SMarsh/Handscomb and will probably play if fit. In that scenario I'd like to see him at 3 and Smith at 4, although it's unlikely to happen.