The Australian cricket team has the potential to be the Twenty20 side in the world. Unfortunately Australia’s best XI rarely takes the field.
Twenty20 series are usually thrown onto the end of a long tour, with most of Australia’s top players either being rested or being sent ahead to prepare for the following overseas tour.
Australian players have been lighting up the Big Bash League and the IPL in recent years.
If Australia were to have all their star players available, they could put together a very strong Twenty20 side.
David Warner
Warner is one of the best Twenty20 players is the world. He has dominated the IPL for years, and this season finished as the leading run scorer. He should captain the side ahead of Steve Smith because he is a better tactician.
Ben Dunk
Dunk was the leading run scorer in last season’s Big Bash. His form was good enough to earn him a recall to Australian team.
Chris Lynn
Lynn was the man of the tournament in the last two Big Bash seasons, he also stared in the IPL despite having his season interrupted with injury.
Steve Smith
Smith’s batting in the IPL has been excellent in recent years, he gives Australia a stable head in the middle of an explosive batting line-up.
Glenn Maxwell
Maxwell has dominated Twenty20 cricket for years and is a valuable asset to Australia’s middle order.
(AAP Image/Mal Fairclough)
Tim Paine
Paine is an excellent gloveman, and has performed with the bat in recent seasons. He provides a cool head, which will be useful if the team suffers a batting collapse.
Mitch Marsh
Despite under performing at Test level, Marsh has good Twenty20 record, and will be a valuable asset to the Australian team.
Mitchell Starc
Starc has an excellent Twenty20 record and is Australia’s premier fast bowler.
Pat Cummins
Since returning from injury, Cummins had performed in both the big bash and IPL.
Andrew Tye
After several strong seasons with the Perth Scorchers, Tye finally got a chance to play in the IPL, where he performed well.
Adam Zampa
Australia’s premier white ball spinner has bowled well when given the chance.
Reserves
Travis Head
Unfortunately there was no room for Travis Head in the team, who is the teams reserve batsman.
Chris Green
Green has bowled well for the Sydney Thunder in recent seasons.
Sean Abbott
Abbott was the leading wicket tacker in the Big Bash last season.
James Faulkner
Faulkner has performed well in ODI and Twenty20 cricket and was unlucky to be dropped from the ODI team.
Jimbo
Guest
I don't mind Finch at all --> a few technical issues that's hampered his consistency internationally... i.e. propensity for lbw, gap between bat and pad when the ball is nipping around.. Its hard when we have so many options to open in limited overs --> warner, head, khawaja, maxwell now in t20, i'd have klinger at the top of the order in my team too. I doubt anyone would be too mad to see Finchy at 1. on any team sheet
Arwin
Guest
I am not form Australia, so looking at the teams above makes me confused. Do you guys not like Finch or is there something the rest of the world does not know? Speaking strictly from the observation of icc rankings. Finch is ranked no.2 in the world. Was no.1 for quite some time too.
Jimbo
Guest
No Hoff Ronan? Too orthodox for t20?
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
1. Warner 2. Finch 3. Lynn 4. Smith 5. Maxwell 6. M.Marsh 7. Dunk (WK) 8. Faulkner 9. Starc 10. Zampa 11. Cummins/Beer (depending on pitch)
Adam
Guest
Finch is there all day dreamers
Matt H
Roar Guru
Cameron Smith at number four? I know he'd be able to talk his way around almost any umpiring decision, but it's still a big call :-)
jammel
Guest
If there was a WC T20 final now, I'd go: Warner V Dunk (+) Lynn Smith C Maxwell Head Faulkner Starc Cummins Zampa Hazlewood (12th man = MMarsh)
Matt H
Roar Guru
Good team. I'd consider Behrendorff for Tye, but that's about it. I'd also consider Maxwell at 3. I can't shift Warner or Lynn from the opening slots, but Maxwell's one chance as an opener produced a T20 century, so I'd get him in as quickly as possible, with Smith and Head to Steady the ship if necessary. I struggle with saying that the best BBL performers will go better than the best international players that rarely play in the tournament.
Bucks
Guest
1.Warner 2.Lynn 3.Smith 4.Maxwell 5.Head 6.Marsh 7.Wade 8.Cummins 9.Starc 10.Zampa 11.Tye Subs - Turner, Finch, Coulter-Nile, Faulkner
Rellum
Roar Guru
I would be picking the best gloveman for the keeper. The games rarely come down to the lower order and the missed chances or shoddy keeping is more vital in my mind. To think in a different way just for an experiment, I would try picking 9 aggressive batsmen, 1 keeper and Starc. In T20 each partnership only needs to average 12 balls in reality and they need to make 15-20 runs in those 12 balls. T20 is about who hits the most runs, wickets are maybe slightly more important than a dot ball. Even a single is fine with the bowling, or in T20 I will call them the defensive team. If you have a bowler who is very hard to get away and would regularly keep the other team below 1 run a ball then I would be picking them over the batsmen but they are rare.
Dave
Guest
Not sure where he stands with his fitness currently, but Jason Behrendorff was the best Big Bash bowler for two or three seasons in a row. Might be slightly ahead of Tye when fit.
Savage
Roar Rookie
on second thought,my team would be: 1. Warner 2. lynn 3. smith 4. G bailey(or any other inform batsmen) 5. maxwell(AR) 6. Dunk (wk) 7. starc 8. hazlewood 9. Tye 10. Swepson 11. zampa batsmen are overrated in this format.that's why i picked 5 specialist bowlers.
Jimbo
Guest
great team... mine would be similar 1. Warner 2. Klinger 3. Lynn 4. Smith 5. Maxwell 6. Dunk (wk) 7. Faulkner 8. Starc 9. Tye 10. Swepson 11. Hoff In T20 you always need an anchor at the top of the order that will score the bulk runs. So I feel like you need an opener like khawaja or kilinger who can accumulate at better than a run a ball with minimal risk...
Savage
Roar Rookie
Bring starc and chris lynn in place of nathon coulternile and watson(both played in last t20 2016wc match against india).