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Who will wear the baggy green with so many Test stars on T20 World Cup duty?

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Roar Rookie
20th August, 2021
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Australia have announced their T20 squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

The squad includes key Test players like David Warner, Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.

Assuming Australia playing the final of the T20 World Cup, which will be finished on November 14, and with the Ashes starting on December 8, it is a clear picture that those key Test players would not be able to take part in the Afghanistan series that will start from November 27.

Now considering the situation, let’s settle on a playing XI for the solo match against Afghanistan.

Talking about the openers, assuming he is fit, Will Pucovski and Marcus Harris are the front-runners. Pucovski had a good start to his career against India where he scored a 50. But a shoulder injury ruled him out of the series and then he had his surgery. He is expected to come back soon in full swing.

Will Pucovski of Australia bats

(Photo by Cameron Spencer – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Harris, on the other hand, is in terrific form, making 695 runs in the Sheffield Shield tournament, averaging 63.18 with two centuries last season and he had strong performance in the County Championship for Leicestershire. Although someone can argue playing him in the middle but the lack of openers means he is going to open.

Marnus Labuschagne was not included in the T20 World Cup squad so he is at three by default. Tim Paine, the captain, will come in at seven and take the gloves.

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Now, let’s talk about positions four, five and six. Considering all of this, I have got Travis Head, Alex Carey and Cameron Green as front-runners.

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There is no doubt of Green’s inclusion in the XI but the question is where to send him in to bat? He played his only series against India at six. But with key players missing, I expect him to bat at a higher position.

Head, on the other hand, is come and go. He was dropped after the second Test against India but later was selected to play against South Africa, which was cancelled later on.

The reasons I am considering him as a front-runner are because of his Sheffield Shield tournament performance and the selectors’ word to give more opportunities to see how far he can go.

Both Head and Green bat at number four in first-class cricket. But I assume it would be Head at four and Green at five for the Afghanistan Test, which means Alex Carey to bat at six.

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Alex Carey

(Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

Being omitted from the T20 squad, which was likely to happen, Carey is now probably preparing for the upcoming Tests.

Assuming Tim Paine retires after the Ashes, Carey is the front-runner to take the gloves. Though still not playing a single Test match for Australia, he is an excellent performer in first-class cricket where his average was nearly 60 in the last Shield series. He was also included in the cancelled tour of South Africa. For me, he is the vice-captain.

Now, coming to the bowling group, Nathan Lyon is the go-to man for the spin role. James Pattinson, Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson are my front-line pacers.

It’s time for Pattinson, who could have been one of the finest Australian bowlers, to lead the bowling group from the front. He is more experienced than the two others.

This time Michael Neser should get his very well deserved Test cap. He has been around the team for almost three years. Please do some justice for this man.

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At some point, Jhye Richardson seemed to be a go-to man for the T20 World Cup after his brilliant performance in the last Big Bash League where he picked up 25 wickets at 11 with an economy rate of 6.47.

But his performance in Australia’s shirt against NZ and in the IPL could not justify his talent. Result? Omission from the squad. But with two Test matches under his belt and his ability to swing the bowl at high speed, he will be vital for upcoming Tests.

I know there will be a probably 15-17-member squad. Some would be recalled and some would get a maiden call. All these are up to the selectors. This article is all about finding the best squad against Afghanistan without the key players.

Likely XI
1. Will Pucovski
2. Marcus Harris
3. Marnus Labuschagne
4. Travis Head
5. Cameron Green
6. Alex Carey (vice-captain)
7. Tim Paine (captain and wicketkeeper)
8. James Pattinson
9. Michael Neser
10. Jhye Richardson
11. Nathan Lyon

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