The Aussie all-rounder XI

With the summer of cricket finally upon us and no all-rounders in the initial Ashes side, Here is a team made up entirely of all-rounders, with batting power and bowling options aplenty.
Travis Head (wk)
Head made his international debut against India in an Australia day T20. Last year he notched his maiden international ton against Pakistan at the same venue. He averages 33.5 at first-class level, at List A level 37.3 and in T20s 28.4.

Head is not as much of a bowler as he is a batsman, but he still has wicket-taking ability. His bowling averages are not entirely attractive either, but when playing for Australia he is used as an all-rounder. Head is touted as a long-term future Test player by many.

Hilton Cartwright
Cartwright has played two Tests and two ODIs to date, and last week was backed by Ricky Ponting to retain his spot in the Test side for the ‘Gabba Ashes Test. He averages an astonishing 46.51 at first-class level with the bat and notched 170 off 173 deliveries last season against NSW.

His bowling is not the greatest, as he does not possess the pace and aggression of some fast-bowling all-rounders.

Glenn Maxwell
Maxwell is another who failed to make the cut for the Ashes – before being later called up – and is a much-maligned figure of Australian cricket. His batting is definitely his stronger point, but he has been used as a strike bowler in the ODI format for Australia. Maxwell’s best performance for Australia was against Sri Lanka in September 2016 when he smoked 145 from just 65 balls.

Love him or hate him, there’s no doubting Maxwell’s match-winning capabilities with the bat and ball.

(AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Mitch Marsh
Marsh is explosive with both bat and ball and is most dominant in the 50-over format of the game. He averages a handsome 37.34 with the bat and 30.17 with the ball, recording a best bowling of 5/33 against England in the 2015 World Cup.

He was Australia’s Test allrounder for a period of time but has been unable to break back into the Test side, largely due to his first-class records since then. Marsh is not short of first-class success, however, having made four 100s and 18 50s with the bat, and having six 4-wicket innings in his first-class career.

Marcus Stoinis
Stoinis made himself known earlier this year when he smashed nine fours and 11 sixes in an epic knock of 146*. His monstrous innings followed an innings where he achieved figures of 3/49, including the crucial wickets of Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson.

Stoinis moved from Victoria to Western Australia at the end of the last first-class season. His bowling average at domestic level does not reflect his wicket-taking ability, one of the predominant reasons why he was considered for the all-rounder role in the Test side for the Ashes.

D’Arcy Short
Short is an explosive left-handed batsman who also possesses the rare craft of bowling left-arm chinaman. He is used as a lower middle-order batsman by W.A, but can also open the batting. He is best in the 50-over format, with a batting average of 32.57 and a top score of 119* made against Cricket Australia XI.

Jack Wildermuth
Wildermuth, nicknamed by some as ‘The Beast’, has shown promise with both ball and bat at domestic level. He has high score of 110 in the Sheffield Shield and was awarded man of the match in a game against Victoria for taking seven wickets. He is a regular first or second change bowler for Queensland. Wildermuth definitely has a bright future ahead of him.

Moises Henriques (co-captain)
Henriques monstered a massive 265 for NSW against Queensland last season and has represented Australia in all three formats of the game. He is a capable medium-fast bowler as well, with a first-class bowling average of 31. Portuguese-born Henriques has been a consistent performer for NSW over the years and stands in as NSW captain when Steve Smith is leading the Test side.

Dan Christian (co-captain)
Christian is the proud owner of an ODI hat-trick, which was taken against Sri Lanka back in 2012. The 34-year-old has bounds of cricketing experience and is still highly sought after in domestic T20 leagues. He has scored five first-class 100s and 15 fifties, and in the 2012-13 summer, he blasted a 57-ball 129 for Middlesex against Kent.

Ashton Agar
Agar is remembered for his fantastic 98 on debut at Trent Bridge and has since shown he is a more than capable batsman with two first-class centuries to his name. He was thought by many to be the next Steve Smith but has not yet managed to find that kind of form.

He has five first-class five-fors to his name and has impressed with bat and ball during his two most recent Test matches.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

James Faulkner
Faulkner is a bowling all-rounder who has incredible records with bat and ball. He is best remembered for when he steered Australia to victory against England at the ‘Gabba, earning himself the title of ‘The Finisher’.

Faulkner also has an ODI hat-trick to his name, also against Sri Lanka. He also holds the record for the fastest ODI ton by an Australian, when he scored 116 from 73 balls against India in 2013, in which he brought up his ton off 57 deliveries. He has a cool head under pressure, which makes him an excellent ‘finisher’ and a fantastic death bowler.

Wicket-keeper
Travis Head is listed on ESPN Cricinfo as a Wicket-keeper, and seeing that from other sources as well indicates that he would be this team’s wicketkeeper. Head would have to contend with Glenn Maxwell for the front-line off-spinner role in this team, and as Maxwell is more experienced in the bowling and fielding departments, that leaves Head as the ‘keeper.

Bowlers
Well, it’s quite simple, really. Everyone in the team has wicket-taking ability, so everyone can bowl.

Not quite. It’s a matter of quality and reliability.

James Faulkner would be the obvious choice to take the new ball, as he is used as a bowler for Australia in One-Dayers. Faulkner claimed six wickets in the match in his only Test and has five first-class five-wicket-hauls to his name.

Faulkner has also claimed three T20 five-fors, and eight four-wicket innings in the 50-over format.

The other pace bowlers would include, Marsh, Stoinis, Henriques and Christian, all of whom are used frequently for their states and, at times, Australia.

As for the Spinners, there are three options, all of whom bowl a different type of spin.

Maxwell bowls right-arm off spin, while Agar and Short, both left-armers bowl Orthodox and Chinaman respectively.

Coach
Andrew Symonds played 26 Tests, 198 ODIs and 14 T20s for Australia between 1998 and 2009. His batting averages in all international formats are in excess of 35, and he has 165 international wickets to his name.