Having named my 16-man squad for the 2019 World Cup yesterday, here are the players who may be a tad stiff to miss out but don’t quite appear up to scratch.
Adam Zampa
Zampa might have run his race at international level for now. He wasn’t terrible in the first two ODIs, however he looked to be bowling defensively for singles and wasn’t threatening.
Zampa has a decent record in ODI cricket, however it has tailed off of late, and the fact he doesn’t really turn his leg break makes him a limited commodity on flat and hard wickets.
Tim Paine
Paine is an outstanding wicketkeeper and has looked classy and composed at the crease this summer, making a number of key contributions. However he should be kept fresh for Tests.
His body has let him down a fair bit and, as a number seven in ODI cricket, his power game and ability to score boundaries are limited.
Andrew Tye
Tye does his best work at the death of T20 games, when batsmen are trying to score ten runs per over. He does have great variations, but he isn’t a genuine wicket-taker in the longer formats.
Cameron White
I feel sorry for White, who was recalled but never given a clear role. He carried the drinks, before batting at number seven, then at three in Sydney.
With Steve Smith moving to four, Australia are going to look for a more explosive first drop and, although White remains a class player, his recall could be short-lived.
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Chris Lynn
Lynn’s injuries are concerning, however if he gets himself fully fit, you can’t leave a player as explosive as him out of the touring party.
Lynn has been a monster in the Big Bash the past couple of years, but has not played much cricket outside of that through injuries. With a T20 strike rate of 148, Lynn only has to come off once every three or four games to be a match winner, and selectors will persist with him.
D’Arcy Short
Has been phenomenal in BBL07, breaking a record by scoring over 500 runs so far. I just need to see more from him in 50-over cricket to elevate him into this side, however he tick plenty of boxes so it wouldn’t be at all surprising if the selectors went that way.
Shaun Marsh
A very good white-ball player but, at 34 years of age, his body doesn’t need to be running around in the field in 50-over cricket.
Australia can get two or three more good years out of Marsh in Tests, and I would keep him fresh for that. He is a risk in a tournament format with injuries.
Jhye Richardson
A good, young fast bowler who did really well on debut the other night. However, his BBL bowling suggests he can go around the park, and I couldn’t fit him in.
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