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Who will be on the plane to England for the World Cup?

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Roar Guru
3rd November, 2018
9

Here we take a look at the make-up of the 14-man ODI squad to take on South Africa, starting in Perth this afternoon.

With no Tim Paine, Nathan Lyon or Mitchell Marsh for various reasons, there are a host of changes as we assess the candidates and whether they will be on the plane to England for the World Cup.

Aaron Finch (C)

Verdict – certainly.

Finch has suddenly become perhaps the most important man in Australian cricket for the next twelve months. Captain of both white ball formats, Finch looks certain to lead Australia to both the 50-Over World Cup in England in 2019, and the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020.

A proven performer opening the batting in the shorter forms, Finch will be heavily relied upon for big scores and leadership in a transitional stage for Australian cricket.

D’Arcy Short

Verdict – 50/50.

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Short would be in the mix for a top three position in the World Cup and will need to fire this summer in 50-Over Cricket for Australia, with David Warner and Steve Smith both out of the side. Whilst his List A record is impressive, averaging 46 from 25 games, it was helped dramatically by an imperious 257 for WA this summer at Hurstville Oval.

D'Arcy Short of Western Australia hits a six

(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

He only has a few games in ODI colours, so he will really have to nail his chance this summer with some dominant displays. Looks a top order player only, for mine, and if one of the fringe spinners fails to nail a berth, his left arm leggies could give him a slight edge in a marginal selection call.

Chris Lynn

Verdict – likely.

I would have Lynn as more likely than not to be on the plane to England, given he is the most explosive white ball player in the country when fit. Whilst form will come into consideration, with Lynn fitness is the main concern, and I thought he went some way to proving that in the JLT Cup.

I believe as a batsman he has taken his game to the next level, scoring 452 runs at 75 whilst captaining Queensland in the tournament. Whilst Lynn struck at 117, it was his starts to innings which were more measured, with three half centuries and two centuries being the reward for a calmer but equally destructive outcome.

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Shaun Marsh

Verdict – unlikely.

Shaun Marsh has a decent white ball record, averaging 39 from 58 ODI games at a modest strike rate of 80. However, I think given he is such a confidence player, and can experience alarming form slumps, he will be on a short leash this summer.

Up against the likes of Warner, Khawaja, Short and Lynn for a top order spot, I just can’t see a 35 year old with a history of injuries being the best option. Given his recent poor form against Pakistan, I had thought it was a good time to do away with him.

However, he seems to get more chances than many and, on his day, remains a classy player.

Travis Head

Verdict – nearly there.

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I say ‘nearly there’ because Head has proved both consistent and adaptable and, at 24 years of age, is a player with his best years ahead of him. He could easily play in the next three 50-Over World Cups, and you want a few players you can build a side around.

I was a little surprised he was not named as a vice-captain, which probably means his spot is not quite secure in that middle order. Averaging 37 from 39 games with a strike rate of 91 is a good start to an ODI career, and he can provide handy spin and is considered good on the field. Perhaps not as dynamic as other options, but a busy player with leadership credentials.

Glenn Maxwell

Verdict – who knows?

You would think Maxwell would be a certainty to be on the plane to England, given he is probably the most destructive player in the country outside of Lynn. Maxwell was a senior member of the 2015 side that won the World Cup and has experience all over the world in short form, high-pressure cricket.

However, he tends to fall in and out of favour like changes in the breeze, so he can’t afford a wretched run of form. His batting average of 32 is only moderate, however, he often bats at 5 or 6 and his strike rate of 121 is world class. The fact he is bowling a bit more for Victoria might help his cause – predominantly he will need runs though.

Marcus Stoinis

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Verdict – likely.

Quietly, whilst Australia has been playing some average to bad ODI cricket over the past two years, Stoinis could lay claim to being the one player who has really poked his head out and demanded selection. From 18 games he averages a very impressive 45 with the bat, with a strike rate of 101.

He has proved versatile in the batting order, scoring runs from Number 3 all the way down to Number 6. Also impressed that he has played at different tempos with a mix of his brute power, but also some subtlety. His bowling though hasn’t been particularly effective or impressive, averaging 66 and going at over 6 runs per over.

Marcus Stoinis of Australia celebrates

(AAP Image/SNPA, Ross Setford)

He has edged ahead of other all-rounders, but needs to maintain the rage given 18 games is only a smallish sample size.

Alex Carey

Verdict – nearly there.

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Carey is a player who is quickly moving up the food chain in Australian cricket. Promoted to the position of joint vice-captain in the side, it is clear that selectors see him in this role for the foreseeable future. Tim Paine is done and dusted in this format and, whilst Matthew Wade remains a strong white ball player, I don’t see Australia going back to him.

Carey only has a moderate List A record averaging 27, and his most eye-catching performances probably came in the BBL, however he provides a busy player in the middle order with the ability to play inventive shots at a decent time rate. I don’t think he is the second-coming of Gilchrist by any means, but I do see him being a staple of this team for a while based on his character and the lack of any real threat.

Adam Zampa

Verdict – jury out.

I thought the selectors might have moved off Zampa, however, the resting of Nathan Lyon, and his good form in the JLT Cup, allows him another chance to impress. Despite playing 31 matches for Australia, he has never looked particularly comfortable being the first choice spinner and has often been left out if conditions were deemed not suitable.

For mine, he doesn’t offer enough mystery or variation and is more a defensive bowler, and I don’t think that can be the case for a Number 1 spinner. He also doesn’t offer as much with the bat or in the field as Agar. In my opinion, he would need to have a stand out series here to push his way back into the frame fully.

Ashton Agar

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Verdict – jury out.

Domestically, Agar is probably one of the most improved cricketers in the country over the past twelve months. However, he seems to have always been on the fringes of the international sides in every format and has failed to really get a proper run in the side. I think his bowling has come along significantly lately, with better control and variations that you would expect from a left arm finger spinner.

I like him as a Number 8 as he seems to have match awareness, and has a cool head under pressure. Only modest figures, averaging over 50 with the ball through nine ODIs, and will need to improve on those stats if he wants to secure a place on the plane to England.

Mitchell Starc

Verdict – certainly.

I would say a certainty, however there are still a few doubts whether Australia will roll out the “Big Three” quicks in all three formats. Given the importance of a 50-Over World Cup, you would expect Starc to be a certainty, however, he has been far from his best lately.

His 141 wickets at 20 is an imposing record, with an economy rate under 5. We can be quick to forget that Starc was a huge factor in Australia’s 50-Over triumph in 2015 in a World Cup final he dominated against the Kiwis.

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Josh Hazlewood

Verdict – certainly.

Hazlewood has just moved further up the pecking order with his promotion to joint vice-captain. His bowling should be suited to English conditions, and he is normally fairly durable despite a recent injury lay off. Hazlewood has impressive 50-Over numbers for Australia, with 69 wickets from 42 games at an average of 24 and economy rate of 4.72.

Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Pat Cummins

Verdict – Likely.

It’s been a huge turnaround for Cummins over the past 12-18 months. Nobody doubted his quality, but plenty doubted his durability after nearly five years in the wilderness with injuries. Given he is such a huge factor in the Test side now, I think that there is a chance he could be “managed” and might not play one of the white ball formats in the near future.

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However, the World Cup is the biggest stage and, at his best, I think he is Australia’s most skilful and threatening quick. Has an impressive strike rate, however, does concede 5.38 runs per over through 39 ODIs, so perhaps not as assured as Starc and Hazlewood of being there.

Nathan Coulter-Nile

Verdict – Jury Out.

Coulter-Nile has long been somewhat of a project player, for what seems like forever. However, he has had plenty of injuries over the past few years. The fact that he has usurped all five quicks who toured England on that recent 5-0 nightmare tour – Stanlake, Tye, Kane and Jhye Richardson and Neser – shows that the Australian selectors have not given up on him.

He has decent stats with 37 wickets from 21 ODIs at an economy rate of 5.3 but, at 31 years of age, he can’t afford any more setbacks and needs a standout summer.

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