Australia’s hopes of defending their World Cup title have received a major boost with the news that stars David Warner and Steve Smith should return for the five-match ODI series against Pakistan in April.
That banned pair were set to miss this pivotal warm-up for the World Cup, which starts in June. But the series in the UAE is now expected to be pushed back from late March to early April, meaning Smith and Warner will be available to play, something coach Justin Langer flagged as a possibility.
This would be a boon for Australia, offering them a chance to reintegrate this gun duo into their top order well in advance of the World Cup in England.
The ODI tour of the UAE is Australia’s last series before that tournament, which is scheduled on the ICC’s Future Tours Programme. While Australia should also have several warm-up games in the weeks before the World Cup those, I would imagine, will be one-off matches rather than a series.
Australia’s ODI batting lineup has struggled badly in the absence of Smith and Warner, who were banned for 12 months up until the end of March 2019 for their roles in the ball tampering scandal.
Australia have not managed to find a batsman who could fill the role of either of that pair. D’Arcy Short and Chris Lynn have been trialled as aggressive openers, in lieu of Warner, but neither have yet flourished, albeit during limited appearances.
The absence of Smith has served as a reminder of how much Australia need him as an anchorman in ODIs. Australia have loaded up on ODI power hitters in the past year, which has left their batting lineup unbalanced. Smith has the ability to complement more dynamic batsmen by working the ones and twos and guiding his team’s innings in the manner of England’s Joe Root and India’s Virat Kohli.
A top four for the World Cup of David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh would have a great blend of power, experience, versatility and reliability. It would appear well equipped to provide fine platforms for late innings fireworks from the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.
That pair are at their brutal best when they come to the crease with a licence to unleash. But all too often in the past year Maxwell and Stoinis arrived in the middle with Australia in trouble and so have been forced to bat against their instincts.
Maxwell’s strike rate of 121 is the highest in ODI history (min. 1,000 runs), while Stoinis has struck at a shade under a-run-a-ball in his 21-match career. The Victorian’s greatest value is his ability to come to the crease and immediately score at a scorching pace late in an ODI innings against soft balls with the field set deep.
While there are many batsmen who can do this at the top of the order against new balls with the field up, Maxwell’s skill set is truly rare.
Stoinis, too, does not need time to play himself in before upping the ante. This is why he and Maxwell should, preferably, do all their batting in the final 15 overs of an ODI innings. It is also why it made sense that Australia promoted wicketkeeper Alex Carey to number five, above Stoinis and Maxwell, in their last series against South Africa.
Carey looked out of his element down at seven, where he often was required to hit out from early in his innings. The left-hander is better suited to knocking the ball around and acting as a foil for ferocious strikers.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
With both Stoinis and Maxwell also offering handy bowling options, Australia’s lineup would suddenly look well balanced.
While Australia have been atrocious in ODIs over the past two years, they need only find form for a brief period to retain the World Cup.
This following team would be capable of challenging any ODI side in the world if it built some momentum:
1. David Warner
2. Aaron Finch (c)
3. Steve Smith
4. Shaun Marsh
5. Alex Carey
6. Marcus Stoinis
7. Glenn Maxwell
8. Ashton Agar
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Josh Hazlewood
jammel
Guest
Nice XI Drew - plenty of batting! But you have to have Hazlewood in the XI, surely?!? Quality/specialist bowlers will win this World Cup, given the grounds/conditions. I strongly think we need Starc + PattyC + Hazlewood starting, as well as ideally a legspinner (Zampa is the best available).
jammel
Guest
I like your XI Ronan. But I don't think Agar will make the first XI for the World Cup. Or even the squad necessarily. I do think we must play all of Cummins/Starc/Hazlewood - which means only one specialist spinner in the starting XI. I'd go for Zampa, with Lyon probably in support. Maxi will have to bowl 6-7 overs per innings I think - and he can do it. I would also go for Wade over ACarey, but appreciate that's unlikely to happen. My World Cup XI and 4 reserves would be as follows at this stage: Warner Finch(C) Smith SMarsh Maxwell Stoinis Wade+ Cummins Starc Zampa Hazlewood Reserves=Head, Short, Lyon, NCN or Stanlake (Tye just doesn't cut it anymore for mine) What about SOKeefe for the world cup squad as the second spinner? How do you think he would go - setting politics aside - as a second spinner? Again, unlikely to happen in any event, but would welcome your thoughts on SOK as an ODI player for Australia.
Fight fair
Guest
Well Smith admitted to turning a blind eye, where was it shown that he pressured him into it?
Fight fair
Guest
Was it worse than actually biting the ball?
Fight fair
Guest
The S.A captain. Dam auto correct
Fight fair
Guest
Cool ban everyone who has ball tampered then. Including kholi and dad duplexes.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
Fully agree Peter. And for all you - win at any cost - fools here I'll pull out another old unfashionable truth for you ........ He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
haha No - I'm agnostic actually and have a much better moral code than nearly all christians :) I believe in a few old now unfashionable chestnuts from a bygone era - like ..... Let the punishment fit the crime. Take responsibility for your own actions. If you stand for nothing, you fall for anything. Hard but fair :)
Peter
Guest
Bancroft was pressured into doing what he did by his captain and vice-captain. I haven't seen anyone dispute that. But apparently morality and behavioural standards don't matter. Judging by "Punter's" (how do we know what he was plunging on?) and Slater's attacks on Bancroft for telling the truth, the new boy is expected to suck it up and, if he's very lucky, when he is no longer considered an embarrassing reminder of Warner's bullying and Smith's jelly-kneed capitulation, he will be permitted to return to the fold. If "the truth shall set you free", I suspect all truth has done in this case is to free Bancroft to pursue a career outside first-class cricket, while Thug 1 and Thug 2 get away with it to the plaudits of the majority of commenters here. Because, when it comes down to it, it's still win at any cost. Enjoy your darlings, Roarers.
Brian
Roar Rookie
Australia was always looking for an easy out. A few losses or poor performances and the wanting of bring back the infamous 3 was always on the cards. We now have Slater saying Bancroft has buried Warner. This is the typical boys club mentality that envelopes the sport and the breeding ground for what unfolded regarding the "tape", I mean sandpaper incident.
Ouch
Roar Rookie
A serial cheat? When were the other times he was caught doing this?
AREH
Roar Guru
Yep - not a dig at your XI Ronan sorry, rather some of the comments discussing M Marsh
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I have Shaun Marsh in my XI not Mitch Marsh
Mon
Guest
Players are ‘displaced’ all the time. It’s called a selection policy. And if our selectors are smart ( little evidence of that lately) then they’ll select Smith and Warner. They’ve almost paid their exorbitant price for cheating and should be welcomed back. The whole ‘we lose but at least we’re gentlemen’ isn’t a ‘culture’.
Drew
Roar Rookie
It's a shame. He adds much needed variety with his change ups. Plus he has ability with the bat. From memory, his bowling was still valuable apart from when he was playing India. Australia need a 'one day specialist ' bowler; Tye seems to have that role and his performances haven't been great.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Because they’re better. Once they serve their sentence they can be picked.
Mon
Guest
‘But hey we turn a blind eye to it’ Lol. How’s the temperature control in that cave you live in? It’s been pasted all over the Autralian cricket news since last March! ‘ but hey if it was a saffa or an Englishmen there would be an erernity(?) of outrage’ Ha! Talk about turning a blind eye. You know there was a saffa that cheated twice, right? Recently too. And he’s still the captain ffs. There was plenty of outrage but it sounds like you weren’t watching. How convenient.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
It's now 14 months since Faulkner last played a 50-over game at State or international level. He's really fallen off the map.
Drew
Roar Rookie
1. Warner 2. Khawaja 3. Finch 4. Smith 5. Maxwell 6. Carey (wk) 7. Stoinis 8. Agar 9. Faulkner 10. Cummins 11. Starc Res: S Marsh, Lynn, M Marsh, Hazelwood, Zampa
Jock the sock
Guest
Fair call but we Aust can’t win without Warner and Smith. We Prefer winners even though it was probably the worst cheating incident in the history of cricket. But hey we turn a blind eye to it , but hey if it was a Saffa or an Englishman there would be an erernity of outrage. That’s us spectators.