Australia’s journey to next year’s T20 World Cup begins on Sunday when they face Sri Lanka in Adelaide in the first fixture of a three-match series.
Australia will be fielding a new-look team with a lot of old faces, as odd as that sounds. Gone are Marcus Stoinis, D’Arcy Short and Chris Lynn, who have been regulars in the T20 team over the past two years.
In come Test and ODI stars Steve Smith, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Smith and Cummins did not play a single international T20 over the past two years, while Starc featured in only one of Australia’s 21 matches in that period.
Australia now have 12 months to fine-tune for a tilt at winning their first-ever T20 World Cup, which will begin Down Under on 18 October next year.
The Aussies have consistently underperformed at the T20 World Cup. In six editions of the tournament, which started in 2007, Australia have only once made the final, back in 2010 when they lost to England.
Over the next week they face Sri Lanka, the world’s seventh-ranked T20 side. The grouping near the top of the table is very tight, with Australia fifth (261 points) behind India (261), South Africa (262), England (266) and Pakistan (274).
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Next month Australia have a three-match T20 series against Pakistan, but first they’ll tackle an unpredictable Sri Lankan side.
Over the past two years the Sri Lankans have a very poor 8-15 win-loss record in the shortest format, yet they enter this series on a four-match winning streak, including a shock 3-0 clean sweep of world No. 1 team Pakistan in Lahore earlier this month.
What made that series victory all the more remarkable was that ten Sri Lankan players pulled out of that tour of Pakistan due to security concerns. That visit came a decade after the Sri Lanka team bus was fired upon by gunmen in Lahore, a horrifying incident that prompted the long drought of international cricket in Pakistan.
In the absence of a ton of experienced players, several lesser lights stepped up to help Sri Lanka triumph. Playing his debut international series, left-handed batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa cracked a matchwinning 77 from 48 balls in the second T20I.
In that same match rookie leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga took 3-38 and finished with a sensational haul of eight wickets at ten for the series. Left-arm quick Isuru Udana grabbed 3-11 in the series opener to help roll Pakistan for 101.
All three of those players are in Sri Lanka’s squad to tackle Australia along with some more recognisable faces. The tourists boast veteran quicks Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Pradeep, classy batsmen Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis and fiery wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella. Sri Lanka are without mystery spinner Akila Dananjaya, who was last month suspended for an illegal bowling action.
The Aussies have the option of fielding a rapid and intimidating pace attack, with Starc, Cummins and beanpole express quick Billy Stanlake in their squad.
Australia have made the unusual choice of not picking a batting all-rounder in their squad. This suggests they are likely to play two spinners at some point, with bowling all-rounder Ashton Agar batting at seven and partnering leg spinner Adam Zampa.
This series will also mark the return to international T20s of superstar Smith. The world’s No. 1 Test batsman has not played an international T20 match for more than three and a half years.
Australia v Sri Lanka T20 fixtures
- 27 October – Australia vs Sri Lanka in Adelaide
- 30 October – Australia vs Sri Lanka in Brisbane
- 1 November – Australia vs Sri Lanka in Melbourne
(Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Australia squad
Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
Sri Lanka squad
Lasith Malinga (c), Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dasun Shanaka, Shehan Jayasuriya, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Oshada Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha.
Australia’s strongest XI
1. Aaron Finch
2. David Warner
3. Steve Smith
4. Glenn Maxwell
5. Ashton Turner
6. Alex Carey (wicketkeeper)
7. Ashton Agar
8. Mitchell Starc
9. Pat Cummins
10. Andrew Tye
11. Adam Zampa
maverick
Roar Rookie
Good point. I don't know why people keep mentioning him as a death over specialist. Everytime he was under pressure for Australia at the death,he choked.Such an overrated cricketer!
Josh H
Roar Rookie
Obviously you've got the experienced internationals making up the bulk of the team, but I reckon it's worth having a gander at Dan Christian and/or Chris Green. We don't seem to be picking format specialists anymore, we're essentially selecting based on any given game. Christian and Green have been frequenting the T20 circuit for years now, and know the game and tactics inside out. If Behrendorff is fit, he's a shoe-in as well. Klinger would have been great too if he wasn't retired.
Josh H
Roar Rookie
Nair? No way, since correcting his action his novelty as a mystery spinner has been completely lost. He's now just a regular offspinner with a conventional action, just like the rest of them.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
We don't expect Warner, Smith, Khawaja or McDermott to bowl. Why have this expectation of Turner? He's a batsman.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Too passive? Tight, wicket taking, brilliant in the field, explosive with the bat. Passive?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Agar has been super tight for ages. No need for anyone else.
KenoathCarnt
Roar Rookie
Always consistent as an opener at t20 and plays the powerplay perfectly constant agressive strokes without being risky, leave the risky stuff to the other opener.
AREH
Roar Guru
Great point re - Khawaja; often forgotten. Has played some blistering knocks for the Thunder in the past when available, too.
KenoathCarnt
Roar Rookie
The t20 team has the potential to be very leathal , but unfortuntely alot of players missing i would like to see Dan Christian and Nair for Thunder. I would love to see something like this come WC time. Warner Khawaja(best Aus batsmen in last T20 WC) Smith Maxwell Wade (wk) Christian/Turner (if bowling) Nair Faulkner Starc Cummins Zampa
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
How does "Run Leaker" Tye keep getting selected.
Brian
Guest
Biggest issue is missing a quality spinner in the middle orders. Like the 50 over version they might just turn to Lyon in the end.
James
Roar Rookie
Australia won't win the World T20 with this team. It is too conservative. These games are won by players who offer unique skills. Wrist spinners, creative captaincy, impactful bowlers, ultra competitive players. Australia will probably win some games and will most likely destroy Sri Lanka in the upcoming series but just like the One Day World Cup, when push comes to shove, they will be found wanting. Remember England smashed us in the WC semi final with 18 overs to spare! I would leave out Ashton Agar (too passive prefer Chris Green), Ben McDermott (too many runouts prefer Josh Phillipe), Pat Cummins (not suited to this format prefer James Faulkner), Kane Richardson (one dimensional need an allrounder prefer Marcus Stoinis), Adam Zampa (goes missing in the big games prefer Fawad Ahmad) and Andrew Tye (one dimensional prefer Mitchell Marsh) Best team: 1. Finch (c) 2. Warner/Phillipe 3. Smith 4. Maxwell 5. Stoinis 6. M Marsh 7 Carey 8. Faulkner 9. Starc 10. Stanlake 11. Ahmad. Plenty of bowling options, lots of batting. P.S. If Turner's shoulder prevents him from throwing he should be replaced by D'Arcy Short. If Stanlake can't handle the workload, replace him with Jhye Richardson.
matth
Roar Guru
Is Ashton Turner’s shoulder up to bowling now? It’s an interesting squad. Ben McDermott gets a second run, considered a better bet than Short. Kane Richardson always seems to be on the fringes, but is he actually good enough?
Paul
Roar Guru
There are some interesting comments. Ronan suggests Australia is going to "fine tune" for the World Cup, the implication being they've got the core of the squad pretty right. I wonder if that's the case,given some of the guys who have been left out? Ronan also suggests Australia hasn't picked a batting all-rounder, but I assumed that was the role both Glenn Maxwell and Ashton Turner were going to play? The numbers of T20 internationals played by the top 6 countries in recent times tells an interesting story. England, South Africa and New Zealand haven't played 20 games,in comparison to Australia (21), Pakistan (29) and India (33).