With the ICC World Cup only two months away, selectors from all ten nations will be finalising their preliminary squads before trimming to 15 lucky men.
I’ll be looking at what I believe will be the best squads for each team, with the defending champions up first.
Batsmen: David Warner, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch (captain)
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis
Wicketkeepers: Alex Carey, Peter Handscomb
Quicks: Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Kane Richardson
Spinners: Adam Zampa, Fawad Ahmed
David Warner and Steve Smith are world-class players, but if there’s one part of the world where they haven’t excelled in one-day cricket, it’s England. Warner’s highest score in English conditions is 59 and he averages 31 in ten matches, while Smith averages just over 33 in 14 efforts.
I’ve only kept Finch in the squad because of his leadership skills. Bar the 93 in Ranchi, he hasn’t done much since his last ODI hundred, with his technique being exposed by swing bowlers. Should he not perform against Pakistan in the UAE, I’d rope in Shaun Marsh and give Glenn Maxwell the reins.
Leaving out Ashton Turner was harsh, but his shoulder problems make him risky to take as an all-rounder, and he’s just not good enough as a batsman.
Alex Carey just keeps his spot as he’s finally kept in one spot consistently to give him a fair go. Peter Handscomb is good enough with the gloves as back-up and in ODI cricket you don’t need a second specialist.
Had he not been rested or injured, Josh Hazlewood would be a shoe-in, but the performances of Jhye Richardson against India – both home and away – makes him too good to miss out.
In ODI cricket, wrist spinners are like gods, yet Australian selectors treat them like garbage. Adam Zampa once again proved his class against India, troubling the hosts’ top and middle order.
Fawad Ahmed is the second-choice, as his variation and accuracy makes him a deadly bowler – just ask the batsmen in the Pakistan Super League.
Even as a New South Welshman, I can’t see Nathan Lyon on the plane, as he’s way too defensive.
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