Young quick Jhye Richardson and all-rounders Mitch Marsh and Glenn Maxwell should be picked for Australia’s tour of South Africa next month as the Aussies prepare for the 2020 World Cup.
Australia’s best-possible XIs for both ODI and T20 cricket are almost identical, with the only obvious change being to remove Marnus Labuschagne for T20 cricket and replace him with Ashton Agar batting at seven.
This is the 15-man combined squad I would pick for the tour, where Australia will play three matches in each format:
Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Josh Hazlewood, Kane Richardson.
Australia’s best ODI XI
1. David Warner
2. Aaron Finch (c)
3. Steve Smith
4. Marnus Labuschagne
5. Mitch Marsh
6. Alex Carey
7. Glenn Maxwell
8. Mitchell Starc
9. Pat Cummins
10. Adam Zampa
11. Josh Hazlewood
(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Australia’s best T20 XI
1. David Warner
2. Aaron Finch (c)
3. Steve Smith
4. Glenn Maxell
5. Mitch Marsh
6. Alex Carey (wk)
7. Ashton Agar
8. Jhye Richardson
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Pat Cummins
11. Adam Zampa
There are only two changes between those sides and, realistically, that could even be reduced to one, with Richardson a strong option to take Hazlewood’s place in ODIs.
Hazlewood has an average of 25 and economy rate of 4.76, and remains a key part of Australia’s core 50-over squad. What Richardson offers is greater versatility, in particular at the death. The young West Australian has a great yorker and an array of changeups which he has honed in T20 cricket, having already played many more T20 matches at the age of 23 than Hazlewood has at the age of 29.
In ODIs, Richardson is well suited to all three phases of an innings – he is dangerous with the new ball, keeps things tight in the middle, and has the tools to handle the slog overs.
He was one of the breakout ODI stars of 2019 after producing a sequence of stunning efforts against powerhouse side India, both home and away.
In those six matches, Richardson grabbed 14 wickets at 20 and caused huge problems for Indian megastar Virat Kohli.
The West Australian bowled 58 deliveries to Kohli for the remarkable figures of 4-38. Australia would have killed for such dominance against Kohli in the just-completed series, during which he scored 89 and 78 in India’s two victories.
Virat Kohli (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Richardson would have been in Australia’s starting XI at the 2019 World Cup if not for an untimely shoulder injury. He has rebounded well from that setback, averaging 28 in this summer’s domestic one dayers, 27 in the Sheffield Shield, and taking 14 wickets at 23 with an excellent economy of 7.08 in the BBL.
Mitch Marsh’s run at last year’s World Cup was also interrupted by injury. Just like Richardson, Marsh is pressing his claims for international selection with hot form in the BBL.
The powerful batting all-rounder has thumped 367 runs at 41 for the Perth Scorchers, with an excellent scoring rate of 9.06 runs per over. The fact Marsh has flourished while coming in as low as five in the order makes him extra appealing.
Australia have a glut of top-four options in T20s, so it is middle-order batsmen like Marsh that they need to stand up ahead of the World Cup, to be held Down Under this October.
With Warner, Finch, Smith and Maxwell all but locked in as Australia’s top four, Marsh and wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey should be given the chance to nail down the other two top-six spots on the tour of South Africa.
Carey has been an ODI revelation in the middle order, with 616 runs at 44 across his past 20 innings, with a strike rate of 100. Yet he remains unproven with the blade in T20s, having averaged 14 in his 13 international knocks. The brilliant way in which Carey has transitioned from a slow-scoring opener in domestic 50-over cricket to a powerful finisher in ODIs gives me confidence he can make a similar adjustment in T20.
Maxwell, meanwhile, was conspicuous in his absence in India. While there are no guarantees he would have succeeded in that series, Australia needed his rare gift for insanely-quick scoring in their middle order.
Owning the second-highest strike rate (123) in history, Maxwell is the only current Australian player with a career rate of better than a-run-a-ball. He offers crucial variety to a batting line-up which boasts an experienced and consistent top three, a promising number four in Labuschagne, and a versatile finisher in Carey.
Add the dangerous ball-striking and all-round ability of Mitch Marsh and Australia have a balanced ODI line-up.
The same goes for the T20 team, which is the bookies’ favourite to win this year’s World Cup.
maverick
Roar Rookie
What's funny about that? He is a way better option than Kane Richardson and currently the leading wicket taker of the big bash. He has plenty of variations up his sleeve. And he is a very good lower order hitter as well.
Yeah totally agree. Adaptability is the biggest thing. I think Labuschagne playing more T20 cricket will turn him into a quicker scoring player in the long run
I have a feeling he's far too predictable in ODIs and just resorts to test length when they start going after him. It's weird because he had a brilliant first half 2019 but couldnt quite sustain it in the world cup.
Sean
Guest
Stonis for Marsh surely. Marsh is overrated at best
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I just think experience for swepson on a turning wicket would have also strengthened the win not detracted but it also serves to give him some experience. Despite the new concept of test championship points for a one off final thats novel , I view the subcontinent tours as close to the pinnacle of challenges in test cricket. With little test cricket (with actual turning wickets) and seeing NZ were five players out I think resting head or wade and reassuring them they start in november wasn't a problem and we would have won by even more runs. As it turned out wade and head did little in the match too
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Play six batsmen, yes. Since when has an Aussie 7-11 had "no batting ability"? Dualistic thinking never makes a point. While you demand the 100s from Warner and Finch, do you have no expectation of 3, 4,5 and 6?
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Maybe we should just tell Finch and Warner to just hit big hundreds every game and then stack the team with more bowlers hey? Sorry Don, it just doesn’t work like that. Play a team with no batting ability beyond the top 6 in ODI’s and you will be found out a lot!
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Not a fan of the idea of dropping a player who deserves to be there just to give another guy a try in test cricket though. Also don’t see why we’d need to try out a leggie at the SCG this summer because we are going to do some sub-continent tours in a couple of years where we are probably better off with finger spinners anyway.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I thought we did pretty well in india with the ODI give or take some run out debacles and a few blips in the 2nd and third ODI but we weren't far away.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Id have jhye richardson in there too. Unlucky to do his shoulder in before the ashes but he's an economic bowler too
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Sadly because CA didn't sign cummins up on a two year he's been drawn to the IPL so pushed towards t20 even more I read , a decent period in the IPL before a test series exposing him to injury potential too
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Maxwell is selected in squad for sth africa ODI anyway right ?
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Hes had an injury hampering his bowling though hasn't he matt?
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Id agree marsh and maxwell are the potential big hitters, maxwell goes well in India too , haven't looked up his ODI/t20 form in sth africa yet
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Precisely why we should have given stepson a go at SCG on a spinning wicket for me, give him some international exposure although he looks a little more like test material to me and we have tour all over the subcontinent in 2022 . Not a lot of options indeed to play spinners internationally coming up.
blanco
Guest
Its a joke Mitch Marsh isn't in Australi's odi team. He is my number five for sure. No disrespect to Maxwell and Stoinis but imo Mitch Marsh is a better odi bat than both. Maxwell at six for me, he offers a handy all round package. My odi team 1. Warner 2. Finch 3. Smith 4. Handscomb 5. Mitch Marsh 6. Maxwell 7. Carey 8. Jhye 9. Starc 10. Cummins 11. Zampa
Graeme Smith
Roar Rookie
Smith and Labuschagne came in at a situation, shit we need at least a big century and then still another 50. They did this at a run a ball. Something not to be sniffed at. Agar came in twice in difficult situations. Everyone around him was getting out, and he needed to score at over two runs a ball. So you can’t really blame him for not being even close to that level of batsman. But we have batsman who can.
Graeme Smith
Roar Rookie
There’s no way Agar would be in the T20 team, although he is quite economical as a bowler. Starting the tail/allrounders at 4 is suicidal. Number 3 is Chris Lynn with everyone else dropped down one pos.
Graeme Smith
Roar Rookie
I don’t think Maxwell was not selected. He said he was suffering from mental health issues around the time when the selections were made. The selectors seemed to have been respectful of this. The team selected was a weak one, but young. It wasn’t the strongest team, but it was obviously selected with the 2023 World Cup in mind. And it answered some questions. Zampa, probably. Turner not. Agar, didn’t rule himself out (which surprised me).
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Maxwell is into his 30s and has 1 century in 102 games. He's been all over the order because he hasn't established himself at international level. No Maxwell for me. If he was picked at 6 and made decent runs, he would be kept in the side. Way too inconsistent