Before the historic series victory in India, Australia have had little to smile about in the 50-over game.
After two games against India, Australia seemed destined for another series defeat. A collapse at the latter stages of the second One-Day International, most likely did not come as a surprise to the Australian public.
Prior to the third match against India, Australia had lost 22 of their last 29 ODIs with a further three matches being washed out. Clearly, wins have been few and far between in the last two years since their last victory against Pakistan at the start of 2017.
However, as the 2019 World Cup is approaching, the tide has started to shift, with three team efforts to guide Australia to a drought-breaking ODI series win, not only in the format but in India.
One could argue that this series win has been one of the best since the Ashes in 2017-18.
Suddenly, there are selection dilemmas arising for the first World Cup match, with many players impressing in the recent series against the arch-nemesis, and with the immediate expiration of 12-month bans for star batsman David Warner and Steve Smith, there will undoubtedly be some who miss out.
Here are a list of all players that I think can be included in the squad:
Batsmen: Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, D’Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Ashton Turner, David Warner
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis
Keeper-Batsmen: Alex Carey (wk), Peter Handscomb (wk), Matthew Wade (wk)
Bowlers: Jason Behrendorff, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
Aaron Finch retains his spot as captain in the side come the first of June. Although his form with the bat has been shaky, Finch has impressed with his captaincy and stability in this role is something Australia want to maintain leading into the prestigious tournament.
Changing the captaincy after drought-breaking success would be a questionable call by the selectors.
Usman Khawaja has virtually sewn up an opening spot in Australia’s XI with an impeccable series against India, where he averaged 77 and scored two centuries.
Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis will also most likely be selected to play as not only do both have the ability to accelerate in the latter stages of an innings, they can also offer Australia something with the ball too.
Australia’s Glenn Maxwell. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
On the bowler’s side, Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa are certain starters (should Australia require a spinner).
The world’s best Test bowler has shown he can do it in the shorter format as well, by picking up 14 wickets in the series, while Adam Zampa continues to put his hand up as Australia’s No.1 spinner in ODI cricket, picking up a handy 11 wickets, and consequently, edging out Nathan Lyon.
Understandably, conditions play a big factor in selection however Steve Smith, David Warner, Jhye Richardson, Peter Handscomb and Mitchell Starc should be selected.
Providing Steve Smith does not fail dismally in the IPL or sustain an injury, he has to be in the starting XI for Australia come June.
He may be rusty at the start, but with some game time he can deliver the goods for Australia as well as play that anchor role in the middle of the innings.
Handscomb has played the last eight ODI’s for Australia, and has passed 50 on three occasions and scored his maiden ODI century.
Currently, he edges out Shaun Marsh who has an impeccable ODI record, however, has not shone at all in his three appearances in India.
The spot for the last batsman is a difficult one with Warner, Short and even Turner in the running.
Short has only played three ODIs in the past year (none in 2019), with Warner playing none due to suspension.
All three batsman have the ability to accelerate an innings and in England, it will be crucial to score big due to the smaller grounds, hence one would anticipate high totals.
Warner/Short would most likely open or bat at 3. Since D’Arcy Short has not been selected to play in ODIs this year, I cannot see him coming into the team, thus David Warner would get the nod. Turner unluckily, will miss out barring a stunning series against Pakistan at the end of the month.
Australian cricketer D’Arcy Short (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images)
Jhye Richardson has been impressive with the ball in both ODI series against India, and although he can be expensive, he has the ability to take wickets.
Finally, the last bowling spot is between Jason Behrendorff and Mitchell Starc. Starc was named the player of the tournament in the most recent 2015 ODI World Cup, taking 22 wickets at an average of 10.
However, he has struggled for form in 2018, especially since the ball-tampering scandal, with many calling for him to be dropped. Along with Josh Hazlewood (who has been injured of late), the workload may be excessive to play the entire World Cup and Ashes, thus the selectors may opt to play Jason Behrendorff instead, who is known to swing the ball in favoured conditions and take wickets.
However, given that Starc has been well-rested for the World Cup, I would expect him to feature quite heavily in the World Cup, with Behrendorff as back-up.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc remains one of Australia’s best. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Alex Carey unfortunately misses out, as his batting has been precarious of late, as well as missed a few chances behind the stumps.
Handscomb takes the gloves based on current form. A back-up keeper however, is an essential, and Carey or Wade (who has been in stunning form in the Sheffield Shield and Big Bash) should be selected as a stand-by keeper.
A five-match ODI series against Pakistan begins on Friday, which could most definitely alter the starting XI listed here, however based on current trends, the XI selected is in my opinion, the team that should face Afghanistan on the first of June 2019, barring unexpected conditions.
There will be a plethora of potential alternative squads/starting XI’s proposed, thus disagreements will be aplenty in the next two months.
Starting XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch [c], Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb [wk], Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Adam Zampa.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Not sure why Stoinis would be perfect for this role. His ODI average over the last year (15 ODI matches) is 29, at a run rate of 83, way behind Marsh, Handscomb and Khawaja. His average AND run rate in T20 cricket is also inferior to Marsh and Khawaja (Marsh 39 @ 129, Stoinis 27 @ 124). Bit of a myth that he is a fast scoring big scorer.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
My own guess is that they thought he might have been a bit distracted when he rushed into the side mid-tour after staying in Aus for birth of his child and also recovering from an injury I believe. They presumably thought it worth giving Turner another go. I don’t think he really had bad form in those three low scores - one leg side tickle, one great ball from Bumrah accounted for two dismissals, the sort of thing that happens to everyone now and then.
CubRoar
Roar Rookie
Smith also scored at a low run rate in those last matches, if memory serves. Will he play the same way in the World Cup? There's a big question mark over his head for me. And I'm not sure that his IPL results would provide a reliable answer. That's a game where you must go hard; success there would only prove that he can go hard. But what is his mindset when back in a 50 over game? Protecting his wicket is more important than in 20-20. Will his run rate be poor as a result? Leaving alone the offstump deliveries? Bowlers would figure that out soon enough and then happily rack up the dot balls. Shaun Marsh has a proven, recent record in England. Where the WC is to be played. And yet many people are excluding him from their line-up wishlists.
Liam
Guest
I'm going to put it this way: selecting Smith for the WC would be playing the same cricket that won the last one. You are a) relying on someone who has not played international cricket for a significant amount of time to step in and to play a role (the lynchpin) when what you are likely to need from his position (if England is anything to go by) is another player who has the potential to explode. Maxwell or Stoinis is perfect for this role; Smith in form could be, but he's an unknown at this point. B) you are risking the cohesion of the side, by bringing in someone who has not played international cricket for 12 months, based on what will be scant form, with the stigma of cheating attached to them. The pressure on the side if that eventuates will be beyond anything we have faced going into a world cup, and would be detrimental to all. C) you are dropping someone whose form (with the exception of Finch) does not warrant dropping, for someone who is all of the above. And, if you drop Finch, you are effectively dropping a captain for all of the above. You want to uproot the gains made in the series against India? That's a surefire way to do it. Warner makes sense to bring back in, just as a batsman. Move Finch down the order, if you need a lynchpin, but use him the way England use their middle order, as batsman who go hard early to blast opposition away; Warner and Khwaja opening the batting, Stoinis/Maxwell at three/four, Handscomb at 5, Finch at 6, Carey at 7. Drop Lyon, use Maxwell/Finch's spin and try to get away from those overs without going for 5+ an over; bring in one of Starc or Hazlewood, only if they're 100%, and if their form warrants inclusion over Richardson.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Not so much rankings as past performance. Warner has always been a better ODI player than Smith. Smith was important in that middle overs role but Handscomb has been doing a really good job there (Marsh too, when he actually looks for singles). Warner is also capable of playing that role.
Raymond Liu
Roar Rookie
Fair point. Last quote is spot on. I don’t know if there’s room for him in the middle order if he is to slide down, but dropping Finch would mess with the captaincy and potentially alter the momentum the side has built recently.
Raymond Liu
Roar Rookie
I don’t think rankings will play a factor in selection. I think given they’ve been out for one year, it’ll depend on their most recent form, hence most probably the IPL. If Carey finds some of his best form in Pakistan, then I’d agree with you. If he doesn’t, then I wouldn’t rule anything out.
Raymond Liu
Roar Rookie
Yes Turner does deserve a chance and if he is hitting them in June like he did against India in Game 4, he will play. Carey’s batting has just been a bit under the radar, and let’s not forget, that’s what Paine was dropped for last year in England.
Raymond Liu
Roar Rookie
I wouldn’t say Carey is entirely safe, as you can see he Lost his spot to Handscomb in the T20 series against India just before, and Handscomb has performed in the ODI series here, and with lots of players putting their hand up for selection, you can’t say the selectors don’t have it in their mind to pick Handscomb as their main gloveman. I agree with the Khawaja being most likely at first drop, but he has flourished in that opening spot in India, hence I reckon he opens. Finch batted at number 3 both times in the T20 series against India. I don’t think he’s had that spot much in his career, but the selectord still played him there anyway. I guess you could say T20 isn’t ODI but would you have expected Finch to not open against India before that T20 series? I’d say probably not, so anything can happen. The point of playing Handscomb in my opinion is to get someone who can also stabilise the middle order with Smith. There’s quite a few hitters in this team already with Maxwell, Stoinis and Warner.
Raymond Liu
Roar Rookie
Good point. Why was Shaun marsh dropped for the last ODI against India then? I’d assume he didn’t make an impact hence he was dropped. I’m well aware of Shaun’s record, but if he was dropped in Game 5, then maybe just maybe the selectors have disregarded that. Steve smith and David Warner are a different case who’ve been out for a year. If you base it on that, then you have a point, but do you really reckon the selectors would leave both of them out unless they fail or flop? I can’t see that. If you base smith and warner on past form, then they’ll never get in the team.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
“Currently, he edges out Shaun Marsh who has an impeccable ODI record, however, has not shone at all in his three appearances in India.” That’s it? Stunning logic. Any idea what Steve Smith’s last ODI 7 scores were? 3, 16, 23, 18, 45, 4, and 12. Most of them on home soil. But for 3 low scores you’re going to axe the guy who was head and shoulders the best Australian ODI batsman in three of the last four series over the last 12 months. To be replaced by - a guy who played one good innings, but otherwise has a mediocre 50 over record, as well as a T20 record vastly inferior to Marsh’s, if you think that is relevant? With zero experience in England, where Marsh was the only standout Australian batsman in the 5 match series less than a year ago? Or D’Arcy Short, who has done nothing in ODIs? With that sort of attention span, I’m surprised you can even remember who Steve Smith and Dave Warner are!
Josh H
Roar Rookie
In his current form, if Finch was going to play at all, for me it would have to be in the middle order He simply doesn't have the technique or the eye anymore to cope against quality swing bowling, and it's easier for him if he walks out to bat with a clear head, not worrying about trying to protect his stumps - just score runs. Also makes sure our best batsman (Smith) comes in as early as possible. Much like Warner, an overthinking Finch is a Finch that is destined to fail.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Interesting. It seems like you think Smith is more chance of coming straight back into the side than Warner is. I'd have thought it was the other way round, given that Warner was the higher ranked ODI batsman and had produced the better 12 months before the bans. Also, as Bush says, there is no way Carey won't be picked now. The selectors have made that clear. Handscomb will be the backup keeper. Wade's only chance for a plane ticket will be as a backup batsman for the Ashes.
JamesH
Roar Guru
I think Warner is the best chance of batting at 3. Khawaja has demonstrated that he is far better at opening than batting first drop. Warner has the ability to pick up lots of 1s and 2s.
Paul
Roar Guru
Raymond, I think you've picked the squad for sure, though Finch may miss out if he has a run of zeros in the UAE - can't see that happening though. The selectors have their heart set on Carey as the no1 keeper and I don't think that's going to change, though I agree with you, it would be better for Handscomb to take the gloves. That supposes that the player who replaces Carey, be it Short, Turner or whom ever, does a better job down the order. I hope the selectors give guys like Turner a chance to show what they can do, even in the preliminary games of the WC. We'll need to have a fit and in-form squad to chose from, assuming we make the finals and if Carey's playing out of his skin, he gets the nod. If others are playing better and Carey's down on form, he misses out. Ditto with the other guys in the team.
The Bush
Roar Guru
A slightly different take on the XI with Finch at first drop. But there is exactly 0% change of that side being picked. Unless the selectors complete an abrupt U-turn from their current stand point, Carey will be 'keeping for Australia come the WC. So if you're trying to actually select a real XI, you have to put him in there. I also can't see Finch batting at first drop. If one of the "natural" openers does get moved down, you'd have to bet on Khawaja as he has actual experience at first drop in multiple versions of cricket. From memory Warner and Finch's experience when not opening consists of a few matches batting down at 5 or 6 in a few domestic games (IPL for Warner and FC cricket for Finch). I've never heard of either of them doing it in international cricket (unlike Khawaja). Perhaps my memory is rusty. I also don't get why you'd drop Carey, glove up Handscomb, but then not want to have all of Turner, Maxwell and Stoinis in the side. Isn't the whole point of giving Handscomb the gloves so that you're removing one slow batsmen and replacing him with a hitter?