The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

UAE T20s give Australia's World Cup hopefuls a chance to shine

Autoplay in... 6 (Cancel)
Up Next No more videos! Playlist is empty -
Replay
Cancel
Next
Expert
21st October, 2018
34

The likes of Chris Lynn, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa and D’Arcy Short can push their 50-over World Cup credentials by dominating in Australia’s four T20 internationals in the UAE starting today.

It may be a different format but these matches could have a significant influence on the makeup of Australia’s squad for next year’s World Cup.

Australia will soon announce their squad for the three-match home ODI series against South Africa, which starts in two weeks, and there’s a logjam of players vying for selection after impressing in the JLT Cup.

Making that squad will be a massive boost to a player’s World Cup hopes. The matches against South Africa, and the three-game series against India in mid-January, are the most high-profile ODIs Australia play between now and the World Cup. So performances in those contests likely will be heavily weighted.

Right now, the easiest way for Lynn, Coulter-Nile, Zampa, Short, Ashton Agar or Nathan Lyon to earn a spot in the ODI squad to play the Proteas is by bossing it in these T20s, which start today with a match against the UAE.

In fact, 13 members of Australia’s current 15-man squad are realistic chances of making the World Cup squad, with only Peter Siddle and Ben McDermott not really in the mix.

Lynn, Coulter-Nile, Zampa, Short, Agar, Lyon, Alex Carey, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Billy Stanlake, Andrew Tye, Mitchell Starc and Aaron Finch are all very much in the running for the World Cup.

Yet only two of those cricketers – pace star Starc and gun opener Finch – are locks for that tournament if fit. Which leaves 11 guys with a massive amount to play for over the next week.

Advertisement
Aaron Finch plays a square drive

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Maxwell has a major point to prove after being snubbed for Australia’s Tests against Pakistan. The mercurial all-rounder has been in astonishing form over the past two years in T20 internaitonals. In his past 15 matches, he has piled up 542 runs at 68, all at the extraordinary strike rate of 175.

No batsman in the world has a better T20I average over that period than Maxwell.

Along with Finch, the world’s number one T20I batsman, Maxwell has been central to Australia’s resurgence in the shortest format. The side have risen to third in the T20 rankings on the back of a 16-8 win-loss record since March 2016.

In Lynn and Short, Australia have two more of the world’s most devastating ball strikers. Lynn has yet to find his range in limited T20I appearances but is coming off a monstrous JLT Cup in which he hammered 452 runs at 65, at a sprinting strike rate of 118.

Short, meanwhile, has made a fine start to his T20I career, with 377 runs at an average of 42 and a strike rate of 132. He, too, was in rollicking form in the JLT Cup, with 404 runs at 81, including a scarcely-believable knock of 257, which featured 23 sixes.

D'Arcy Short of Western Australia hits a six

(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

Advertisement

Short and Finch should open for Australia in these T20s, followed by Lynn and Maxwell. The number five spot will likely be filled by all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, given his status as vice-captain.

Personally, I would prefer an opportunity instead be given to 23-year-old Tasmanian stroke-maker McDermott, who was the second-leading runscorer in the JLT Cup and has a very good T20 career record, averaging 35 with a strike rate of 146.

At six in the order, Alex Carey is now Australia’s first-choice T20I keeper and seems to be a strong chance of taking Tim Paine’s spot in the ODI side next month.

I expect Australia to play five bowlers in the UAE, with spinning all-rounder Ashton Agar batting at seven. Agar has been impressively economical in his 11 T20Is this year, giving up just 7.13 runs per over.

Agar, Lyon and Zampa are the three main contenders to be Australia’s lead spinner at next year’s World Cup, with Australia likely to field just one specialist slow bowler in their XI for that tournament.

Today we should also see the return of a man who has the potential to have a major impact at the World Cup if he’s fit: intimidating WA quick Nathan Coulter-Nile. The 31-year-old is the third best 50-over paceman in Australia after Starc and Hazlewood.

Nathan Coulter-Nile bowls for Australia

(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Advertisement

He made a striking return from injury in the JLT Cup, with nine wickets at 21 from four games. With a combination of high pace, steepling bounce, late swing, good accuracy and a solid range of changeups, Coulter-Nile has everything it takes to be an ODI star, except for durability.

Australia’s best T20 XI
1. Aaron Finch
2. D’Arcy Short
3. Chris Lynn
4. Glenn Maxwell
5. Mitch Marsh
6. Alex Carey (wk)
7. Ashton Agar
8. Nathan Coulter-Nile
9. Andrew Tye
10. Adam Zampa
11. Nathan Lyon

Australia’s T20I squad for tour of UAE
Aaron Finch (captain), Mitchell Marsh (vice-captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Ben McDermott, Glenn Maxwell, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

close