Australia names squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup

[MenInG]

Australia names squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup

The National Selection Panel (NSP) has today named a 15-player Australian squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Oman and the UAE.

Australia:

Aaron Finch (c) (Victoria)
Ashton Agar (Western Australia)
Pat Cummins (vc) (New South Wales)
Josh Hazlewood (New South Wales)
Josh Inglis (Western Australia)
Mitchell Marsh (Western Australia)
Glenn Maxwell (Victoria)
Kane Richardson (South Australia)
Steve Smith (New South Wales)
Mitchell Starc (New South Wales)
Marcus Stoinis (Western Australia)
Mitchell Swepson (Queensland)
Matthew Wade (Tasmania)
David Warner (New South Wales)
Adam Zampa (New South Wales)

Travelling reserves: Dan Christian (New South Wales), Nathan Ellis (Tasmania), Daniel Sams (New South Wales).

George Bailey, Chair of Selectors, said: “We are confident this squad has the ability to take the side deep into what will be an extremely competitive tournament.

“We have some of the best players in the world in their respective roles combined with the collective experience to succeed against the very best T20 sides in the world.”

Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner and Pat Cummins return to the squad having missed the tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh. Steve Smith returns from an elbow injury while captain Aaron Finch is recovering well from recent knee surgery.

“We look forward to having all of these players available both from a playing perspective and the experience they bring to International tournaments,” Bailey said.

Uncapped West Australian Josh Inglis has been named in the squad as back-up wicketkeeper to Matthew Wade and a versatile batsman who can have an impact in the top and middle orders.

“Josh has been on our radar for some time with his performances in white ball cricket and more recently in the Vitality Blast where he topped the run charts,” Bailey said.

“He offers the squad flexibility in the batting order with his adaptability, counterattacking ability and power striking. He is a player we are excited about for the future.”

Selectors have chosen four spinners including Queenslander Mitchell Swepson alongside Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell. Swepson impressed in the games he played in the West Indies and Bangladesh including his 3-26 from eight overs in the last two games on tour.

“Mitchell has been impressive with the opportunities he has had,” Bailey said. “Given the amount of cricket being played at the World Cup venues, we expect the wickets in the UAE to favour slow bowling, particularly in the latter stages, so he gives us another strong leg-spin option.”

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood’s impressive form on his return to the T20 side last summer and in the West Indies and Bangladesh led to his inclusion to complete the pace attack alongside Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Kane Richardson.

Tasmanian Nathan Ellis, who completed a hat-trick on debut against Bangladesh, all-rounder Daniel Sams and the vastly experienced Dan Christian have been named travelling reserves.

Some of the squad are expected to take part in the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) prior to the tournament while others will prepare with their respective states.

The squad is due to depart for the UAE in late September or early October.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

I heard steve smith wasn't interested in t20 wc?

 

[MenInG]

Selection chief George Bailey has backed in Matthew Wade as the first-choice wicketkeeper for the T20 World Cup despite the surprise selection of Josh Inglis in the 15-man squad, though questions linger over where Australia's gloveman will bat.

Mediocre returns from Josh Philippe, Alex Carey and Ben McDermott during the T20 series defeats to West Indies and Bangladesh left the door ajar for the in-form Inglis, whose barnstorming domestic form both in Australia and his native United Kingdom proved impossible to overlook.

The uncapped 26-year-old has scored 1117 runs at 37.23 including two centuries, with a strike-rate of 154.28, over the past eight months across the KFC BBL (for the Perth Scorchers), England's T20 Blast (with Leicestershire) and Hundred (London Spirit) competitions.

Bailey suggested he had been particularly impressed with how Inglis managed his transition from opening the batting to a middle-order role with the Scorchers last summer.

Inglis, who returns to Australia from England tonight following the end of the London Spirit's campaign in The Hundred, batted in the top three in the UK. He will complete two weeks of quarantine before joining his state teammates at Western Australia.

Wade, an opener with the Hobart Hurricanes but who has batted extensively at six and seven in international cricket, was shunted up and down Australia's batting order for the T20 campaigns in St Lucia and Dhaka.

His highest score in 10 innings was a 14-ball 33 against the Windies, though he was not alone in struggling during the ensuing campaign against Bangladesh in batting conditions the Australians universally labelled the hardest they had ever played in.

Wade began the Windies tour expecting to bat in the top three but has since said he is prepared to be used anywhere and Bailey suggested the batting order would ultimately be up to captain Aaron Finch.

"We do (see Wade as the No.1 keeper) but it's not really up to me, the batting order," Bailey told reporters via teleconference today.

"We'll talk to that as we get closer (to the World Cup) but I try to leave that to the captain as much as I can. The one thing when I look through that squad that I like is that it looks like a squad that is adaptable and flexible.

"There's a number of guys who have batted at the top and a number of guys who have also rolled through the middle, and if we need to change that at times, we've got the flexibility to do so."

Mitch Marsh's standout efforts at No.3 over the past few weeks have made him a genuine contender to remain in that role, with Bailey suggesting Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and even Steve Smith could be used in 'finishing' roles.

Finch and David Warner have previously been flagged as locks to open the batting together.

While Bailey pointed out selectors had been delighted with Carey's recent returns in 50-over cricket, having captained the Aussies to a 2-1 ODI series win over the Windies in Barbados last month, the South Australian's returns in the shortest format did not demand inclusion for the World Cup.

Carey now averages just 11.09 in T20I cricket with a strike-rate of 108.37. Him and fellow keeper Philippe were dismissed for single digits in 8 of their 13 innings between them against the Windies and Bangladesh, with neither passing 20.

McDermott , who keeps wicket with Hobart when Wade is absent, struck a patient 35 in Dhaka but managed only 66 in five T20s on tour and has a career average of 13.66 from 15 innings, while his strike rate is just 88.17.

Inglis, who was overlooked for those tours, has been the leading run scorer in England's T20 Blast while he also signed off from the Hundred in style, hitting 72 off 45 balls for the Shane Warne-coached Spirit in their final match.

After scoring three Marsh Sheffield Shield centuries for Western Australia last summer, the Leeds-born right-hander has been tipped as a possible keeper for Australia in Test cricket as well.

"Josh has been on the radar for a while for his performances which, and not just in T20 but across all formats, have been really impressive over the last 12 months," said Bailey.

"We'd spoken to Josh about playing in the Blast and the Hundred and continuing to push his case that way, and he really did. Being the leading run scorer (in the T20 Blast) was fantastic.

"In terms of our (World Cup) squad, we think he brings some great flexibility.

"In terms of guys who have batted at the top and shifted into the middle (order), I thought his transformation into a middle order player for the Scorchers last season was seamless.

"He's a really good player of spin, provides a few different finishing abilities in terms of being able to play all around the ground, but he's really powerful as well.

"He's a really great all-round player. I fully appreciate the 'bolter' look about it but he's someone we've had our eye on for some time."

Australia's T20 World Cup squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams

Australia's 2021 T20 World Cup schedule

Oct 23 v South Africa in Abu Dhabi (2pm local time, 9pm AEDT)

Oct 28 v Qualifier A1 in Dubai (6pm local time, 1am Oct 29 AEDT)

Oct 30 v England in Dubai (6pm local time, 1am Oct 31 AEDT)

Nov 4 v Qualifier B2 in Dubai (2pm local time, 9pm AEDT)

Nov 6 v West Indies in Abu Dhabi (2pm local time, 9pm AEDT)


2021 T20 World Cup groups

Round 1

Group A: Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Namibia

Group B: Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Oman

Super 12s

Group 1: England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, A1, B2

Group 2: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, B1, A2

 

[shamaan]

I heard steve smith wasn't interested in t20 wc?

That was a rumour

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Inglis (wk)
Warner
Finch
Smith
Marsh
Maxi
Stoinis
Cummins
Starc
Hazelwood
Swepson

 

[PakLFC]

Seems as if Usman Khawaja's international career is over. Whatever team they put out the Aussies will be strong candidates to win the tournament.

 

[b.lesner]

It has been a tough year for Australia’s men’s team in T20I cricket but despite their lean run, there is a sense of optimism around the group heading into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

In no small part is that down to the calibre of players returning to action for Australia at the showpiece event.

It’s been eight months since any of Steve Smith, David Warner or Pat Cummins played for Australia and six months since Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis or Kane Richardson featured.

All six will be involved in Australia’s quest for a maiden Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy, as will captain Aaron Finch, who missed the series loss against Bangladesh through injury.

There’s no doubt Australia has a stronger squad with the seven experienced stars back in the mix, and if the team is to go deep in the tournament you suspect members within this group will have to play a big role.

And while it’s been a long time since they’ve all been together – and for the bulk of them a long time since they’ve played competitive cricket anywhere – Maxwell is confident they’ll hit the ground running. With a team chock-full of match winners, he believes it “will be hard for anyone to stop us” if Australia take their chances.

Maxwell breaks down Australia's T20WC chances.

“I think they’re very good,” Maxwell told icc-cricket.com of Australia’s hopes at the T20 World Cup. “When this team comes together, I think we’ll slip straight back into us being in a great position. We’re all looking forward to it.”

With one of T20I cricket’s most intimidating opening pairs in Finch and Warner, a flexible and talented middle-order featuring himself and Steve Smith, and an all-star attack, Maxwell is confident that Australia’s best is good enough to take them all the way.

“You look through our line-up, we’ve got a team full of match winners and guys that on their day can take the game away from the opposition. I think that’s what it’s going to take. Any day when it’s one of our players’ chance to go and win us a game – if we can take that (chance) it’s going to be hard for anyone to stop us.”

The need for their match-winners to make the most of their chances is added incentive for the Australians to hit the ground running in the United Arab Emirates.

“The key for us to win a T20 World Cup this year is to get off to a fast start,” he said. “Teams that can get off to a good start early in the tournament, get a couple of players on fire, get a couple of batters in good form, and get a couple of bowlers taking early wickets, that is the key to a lot of teams winning these tournaments.”

The Australians have been drawn in a tough group alongside champions West Indies, world No.1 England and the always dangerous South Africa. It makes for a daunting set of fixtures but Maxwell knows that however the groups had been drawn, the Australians were going to have to be at their best to progress.

“There are no weak teams in this World Cup and we know that. We know we’ve also got a very good chance of beating everyone on our day.

“Both groups are going to be tough, it doesn’t matter. As I said before there are no weak teams in this World Cup so every game is going to be tough for us.

“If we play our best, I feel that’s going to be good enough on the day. I think we’ll be focussing solely on what we can do every game and hopefully, that is good enough at the end of the day”

Boding in Australia’s favour will be the resumption of the IPL in the United Arab Emirates prior to the T20 World Cup, giving a number of their stars the chance to fine-tune their games.

Maxwell, Warner, Smith and Stoinis are all set to feature in the second half of the IPL before pulling on national colours next month.

“The fact we’ve got a lot of guys going over for the IPL as a preparation, get a few games in those conditions, it’s going to do wonders for our batters. Our bowlers are going to be up and firing by the time the tournament starts,” Maxwell said. “I can assure you everyone is looking forward to hitting the ground running over there.”

And he expects the shift of the tournament from India to the UAE and Oman will have an added benefit for all 16 teams.

“The tournament being in UAE probably levels the playing field a little bit. Probably makes it a little bit easier for there not to be as much of a home ground advantage.

“For the IPL to be there to have a lot of international players that are potentially going to be in that World Cup over there playing, I think it’s probably levelled the playing field a fair bit.”

Australia will begin their campaign on 23 October against South Africa.

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Daniel Sams is very good T20 player, unfortunately he couldn't find a place in main squad.

 

[Hasan123]

Australia problems in LO have been in the middle order. Don’t see that changing. They also have the challenge of adapting to UAE conditions. I rarely back against Australia in big games. But I don’t see them making the semis. They usually don’t do well in T20 WCs as well.

 

[rockyboy2018]

You can never discount them always a competent bunch. Good bowling attack.

 

[sweep_shot]

I think they have a pretty good T20 team provided it is a full-strength team.

The squad looks strong on paper.

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

I’m surprised they didn’t select Tim David. Looks to be in supreme form

 

[OMB]

Confident Marsh speaks on his role, backs Australia's chances at the T20 World Cup

Mitchell Marsh, who has been Australia's stand-out performer in their build-up to the T20 World Cup, is ready to play any role which the team demands from him and believes his improvement against facing spin bowling will hold him in good stead on the turning wickets in the UAE.
Marsh performed exceedingly well during Australia's recent tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh, where he was a pivotal part of their top-order. Though Australians had to endure defeats on both the tours with their batters especially struggling against spin, Marsh was a rare shining light.

A string of good scores has bolstered his confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup, a fact which he alluded to during a media interaction. "I feel more confident in my preparation which often allows me to go out and play the game and perform for my team. When I prepare really well, I go out there full of confidence," he said.

Many of Marsh's performances with the bat came at the No.3 spot but with Steve Smith's return to the squad, it is a position which he is unlikely to retain. When quizzed on whether he would be disappointed the position would be taken away from him, Marsh revealed that he was happy to bat wherever the team demanded.

"Look, I've said a number of times now over the last few months that whatever role I'm given in the team, I'll do it to the best of my ability. Whether it's at 3 or as a floater in the middle-order, we'll have to wait and see."

Growing up on the fast and bouncy wickets in Western Australia, Marsh's improvement against spin has been the most notable aspect of his game over the past few months. He was one of the few Australian batters who looked comfortable facing the slower bowlers on the low and slow surfaces in the West Indies and Bangladesh.

Speaking on how the improvement came about, Marsh said, "I've worked really hard on my game against spin. Probably more so around the rotation of strike and making sure I'm getting off strike through those middle overs in white-ball cricket."

The all-rounder also revealed the conversations which he had with his teammate Adam Zampa on areas of his game that he needed to work on to fare better against the slower bowlers. Marsh stated: "I just asked him (Zampa), where he would bowl to me to try and stop me from scoring. If I could try and nullify the bowlers from doing that and get the game a bit more on my terms when playing against spin, it becomes a little bit easier, you get more boundary options."

The T20 World Cup has been one trophy on which Australia have not laid their hands on and have often flattered to deceive. Their preparations for the tournament have been less than ideal in terms of results on the field, but Marsh strongly believes that they have a core group of players who have the capacity to go all the way.

"I believe we've had the squad every time to go all the way. Obviously, our full squad hasn't been finalized yet. But we've got a great core group of players and hopefully this year, we can go one better."

Marsh aggregated 219 runs in the series in West Indies and followed that up and followed that up with 156 runs in Bangladesh. When asked whether he was in the prime form of his career in T20 cricket, Marsh stated that confidence in his mental and physical abilities was the key.

"I certainly feel very confident going into the T20 World Cup with my form and where I'm at mentally and physically, which has been great."

Skipper Aaron Finch and head coach Justin Langer will certainly hope that this confidence carries on into the tournament, as Australia hunt for their maiden T20 World Cup glory.

https://www.t20worldcup.com/news/2286566

 

[MenInG]

Australia captain Aaron Finch is ready to go for his team’s warm-up matches after a quicker than expected recovery from knee surgery.
Finch was at one stage in doubt for the tournament at all after requiring an operation on a knee injury sustained in July, but the skipper is now preparing to play in Australia’s first warm-up match on 18 October.

“Originally it was touch and go to be available for the two warm-up games but at the moment it looks like there’ll be no problems so looking forward to getting out and back into it,” Finch said on Thursday at the ICC captain’s call.

Partnering Finch at the top of the order will David Warner and the Australians are in no doubt over the veteran’s spot in the side despite his lean second half to the Indian Premier League season.

“Over the years we’ve seen when he’s got his back against the wall he’s a fighter. I’ve got no issues with the preparation he’s had,” Finch said.

“He’s come here in great spirits, he’s come here with a great attitude and that’s rubbing off on the boys. He’s organising things behind the scenes, he’s doing everything that he loves to do. I’ve got no issues and come game one he’ll be ready to go.”

What’s less certain is the make-up of Australia’s middle order and Finch says that is by design.

With Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and wicket-keeper Matthew Wade all in the mix for selection and all capable of batting from No.3 to No.8, Finch says the Australians will be flexible through the middle overs throughout the tournament.

That will be particularly pertinent for Maxwell and Smith, who Finch sees as key men.

“The role of our middle order (batters) will all be really flexible,” Finch said, when asked of Maxwell’s spot in the XI. “It’ll be at some point through the middle overs no doubt. He’s a beautiful striker of the ball, and he is someone who can change momentum of the game really quickly.

“On wickets that potentially could be a little bit wearing that can be a huge asset. He’ll be adaptable in that middle order. He’ll be in that top handful, no doubt.”

On Smith, he added: “Similarly to Maxi, he’s someone who can be really adaptable through those middle-overs.

“He provides us with a lot of options and a lot of flexibility. He’s someone who can really go about T20 cricket a little bit different to your general guys who stand there and try and clear the rope.

“He’s someone who can manipulate the ball to different areas and get a really similar result and sometimes an even better result just by doing it a little bit of a different way which is always handy to have those combinations through the middle.”

Alongside all-rounders Marsh and Stoinis, Australia will have the services of gun quicks Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Kane Richardson, as well as the spin trio of Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa and Mitchell Swepson.

With Agar also able to serve a role as a bowling all-rounder, Australia will have plenty of options as to how they structure their XI.

With that in mind, Finch expects decisions over the final XI for each match to be left late.

“There’s no one right or wrong way to go about it at this stage. That’s something we’re going to have to assess early on in a competition, the day before a game, try and best get a read on the wicket and make an educated guess that way.

“It’s nice that we’ve got a lot of options there that we can structure up the side with seven batters or six batters or a handful of all-rounders. It’s an exciting time.

“Having all-rounders in your squad just gives you plenty of options with the ball, especially on wickets that might provide a bit of spin and a little bit of assistance to medium, medium-fast bowlers as well.”

Australia begin their T20 World Cup campaign on 23 October against South Africa.

 

[MenInG]

Paceman Mitchell Starc has warned Australia's rivals not to read too much into the team's recent poor form, saying the squad now assembled in the United Arab Emirates was preparing only to win the Twenty20 World Cup.

Australia have lost 16 of their last 24 Twenty20 internationals going back to the start of 2020, but Starc said there was good reason for those disappointing results.

"Over the last three years or so, we haven't always had our full-strength Twenty20 team available," he told reporters from Abu Dhabi.

"Now we've got everyone available we're looking forward to getting stuck in and hopefully showing the class that we have.

"We've set out to win the World Cup, we don't want anything less."

Australia's form has been particularly poor in the shortest format this year, with only two wins from 10 matches on tours of West Indies and Bangladesh.

"We had some really young, inexperienced players and some young guys ... thrown in the deep end really quickly," Starc explained.

"Yeah, not our best tour, but obviously now we've got our full-strength team available, guys coming off (the Indian Premier League) in really good form, it's up to us now."

Australia have been drawn in Super 12 Group 1 with West Indies, England, South Africa and two qualifiers.

With only five matches in the group and just the top two progressing to the semi-finals, Australia will need to hit their stride in their tournament opener against the Proteas in Abu Dhabi next Saturday, Starc added.

"You almost have to play some of your best cricket from the get-go," he said.

"It's important for us to play well against South Africa and hopefully carry that through the tournament.

"It's no secret that we haven't won a T20 World Cup, so I'm looking forward to hopefully being a part of our first one."

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...ittle-at-world-cup-starc-101634437778599.html

 

[MenInG]

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021


BRETT LEE: AUSTRALIA HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME CHAMPIONS


This column by former Australia speedster Brett Lee is being provided by the ICC for free editorial use as per T and Cs
Samuel Badree, Charlotte Edwards, Morne Morkel, Sana Mir, Preston Mommsen, Muttiah Muralidaran and Suresh Raina, all #T20WorldCup ambassadors, will also share their views in the coming weeks
First and foremost, it is great to be back at a big tournament again. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 is huge and it is so good to have this event because so many people have been locked down around the world.

T20 cricket is a great format to bring people together and I am expecting to see some brilliant cricket in the next few weeks. Hopefully, a lot of that will come from Australia, who begin their campaign against old foes South Africa on Saturday.

This is the one format of the game Australia’s men have not succeeded in at an ICC tournament and we Australians are hungry for it.

For me, the expectation is that Australia will go and win the tournament. I know they might be high expectations but if you don’t go and set the bar very high, you are not going to succeed.

We have not had a lot of success in this format – it is time we changed it and we do have a side that can take it all the way. It obviously won’t be easy, especially when you look at how strong teams like England, India and New Zealand are.

But this Australian side is loaded with talent and for me, the key is David Warner. I would like to say he is saving the runs for the games that count after his IPL form! He was really harshly dealt with there and it may have knocked some confidence out of him but he thrives on the big stage. Everything should be rosy for him here, class is permanent.

I will also put a lot of weight behind Mitchell Starc. There has been some debate in the last year about Starc being past his best but he would be in my team every single time, Josh Hazlewood has had a good IPL and Pat Cummins is a superstar. He is the David Beckham of the team, whatever he touches turns to gold!

The build-up has not always been smooth for Australia but it’s amazing what an early win can do for confidence and South Africa pose a massive threat.

Players come and go, greats come and go. But when you play against a nation like South Africa, the respect is always there. We know they have some match-winners and that is where the T20 game will suit them. They have guys who can take the game away within four or five overs and it will be a real test.

I think South Africa are closer to the Australian culture than any other nation, in terms of sport. New Zealand are obviously closer geographically but South Africans are abrasive on the sports field. They are always in your face and I love that, it’s great. It is also why they have been so successful in all formats. I know they will give Australia a red-hot crack.

The teams who have had success on these wickets are generally from the sub-continent, so they normally have that advantage. But because we have just had the back end of the IPL played on these pitches, I think it brings the playing field a lot closer and both the Aussies and Proteas will be thinking that.

But saying that, I think India are probably the favourites with their top four or five batters and their bowling attack. I have KL Rahul down as the top run-scorer in the tournament and Mohammed Shami to be the leading wicket-taker, purely going on the last few months. So if they deliver and India have one of the leading run-scorers and wicket-takers, it’s a good start.

But I’m confident Australia can do it and it all starts against South Africa – a brilliant match to start what will hopefully be a brilliant tournament for the Baggy Greens.

 

[MenInG]

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup remains the one global limited overs tournament Australia has not won. Among the favourites in 2007, they marched to the semi-finals only to go down to eventual champions India. They made the final three years later, only to lose to England. Still, it only seemed a matter of time until they’d get their hands on the trophy. Eleven years later and the hunt goes on.
The Aussies have endured tough times in T20 cricket of late but after naming an all-star squad for the tournament hopes have swelled. But will they gel in time to secure that elusive silverware?

Ahead of their first match on 23 October, we preview their tournament and break down their story so far.

---

On 17 February 2005, Australia and New Zealand played the first ever men’s T20I.

Both teams donned retro kits, Hamish Marshall and Michael Kasprowicz wore sweatbands straight out of the 80s – the Kiwi had an afro to match – and Glenn McGrath was shown a red card for bowling an underarm delivery.

It all felt a bit of a novelty.

Beneath the surface however it looked like yet another format for Australia to dominate. Back-to-back Cricket World Cup winners and the undisputed No.1 Test team, the Aussies had dealt New Zealand a 44-run defeat with Ricky Ponting plundering an unbeaten 98 off 55 in a total of 214/5 – still impressive even today.

Two and a half years later the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup – then known as the World Twenty20 – would be played and Australia went in amongst the favourites to win it. After all, they had taken out the 2007 Cricket World Cup with alarming ease and undoubtedly had the squad to collect a second piece of silverware for the year.

They suffered a surprise first-up defeat against Zimbabwe but bounced back to beat England to reach the next stage of the tournament where they recovered from a loss to Pakistan to book a semi-final berth against India. One Yuvraj Singh epic later and they were out of the tournament. Nevertheless, a trophy win only seemed a matter of time for the Australians, with Matthew Hayden (265 runs at 88.33) topping the run-scoring and Stuart Clark (12 wickets at 12) second on the wicket-takers list.

They crashed out without a win from the 2009 edition but in 2010 it looked like the wait was coming to an end. Unbeaten through both group stages, they stunned defending champions Pakistan in the semi-finals, where Mike Hussey stepped up with an unbeaten 60 off 24 to register one of the tournament’s finest ever innings. It wasn’t to be, however, as they went down to rivals England in the decider. Still, in making the Final it seemed they had turned the corner. Surely, they would not be waiting too much longer to get their hands on the trophy.

Eleven years and three tournaments later, the wait goes on, and on form, it may go on longer yet.

The Australians have lost each of their past five T20I series and this year have a 4-11 win-loss ratio. Alongside that formline, they’ve been drawn in a group with world champions West Indies, who just recently beat them 4-1, and 2016 runners up England, who defeated them 2-1 in 2020. The third confirmed opponent in the group, South Africa, who are on a hot streak in the format. Few would make them favourites to get out of their group let alone win the tournament.

But write Australia off at your own peril. Right now, they may only sit sixth on the ICC Men’s T20I rankings but up until December 2020, they were the No.1 team in the world, spending 212 days in that position for the year.

That was a ranking attained off the back of four straight T20I series victories – with 10 wins across 11 matches – through 2019 and the start of 2020. While form from that far back may seem irrelevant, it may actually be the data that matters most from Australia going into this tournament. Through 2021 they have not had close to a full-strength XI – most of their biggest stars missed the tours of West Indies and Bangladesh, while Test members Steve Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood all missed the 3-2 loss to New Zealand as they were meant to be on a Test tour in South Africa.

While they were close to full strength in series losses against England and India, each of those campaigns were split 2-1. Those are promising signs given they are the two top teams on the rankings.

Granted, you can’t draw too many conclusions from those tea leaves, but what is clear is that Australia’s squad on paper is among the very best in the tournament.

Globally, there are just 11 batters (minimum 20 innings) with a strike rate better than 150 in men’s T20I cricket. Among those 11, only four boast an average better than 30. One of those is Evin Lewis (average 31.14, strike rate 158.03), who can be expected to have a big say for the West Indies. Another is New Zealand’s Colin Munro (average 31.34, strike rate 156.44), who has not made the cut for this year’s tournament.

The other two both play for Australia. One is, of course, Glenn Maxwell (average 31.72, strike rate 158.92), who has the best strike rate of any batter with a minimum of 20 innings. The other is captain Aaron Finch (average 37.46, strike rate 150.24), who boasts the best average of the 11 in the 150+ club.

Throw in Warner, Smith, and all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh and you’ve got a dauntingly powerful batting order.

On the bowling front, their spin twins Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar have been locks in the top 10 of the MRF Tyres ICC’s T20I bowling rankings. While fast bowlers Hazlewood, Cummins, Starc and Kane Richardson all sit some way lower down the rankings, there won’t be a batter looking forward to facing any of them.

No wonder Maxwell is sounding confident heading into the tournament.

“I think they’re very good,” Maxwell told icc-cricket.com of Australia’s hopes at the T20 World Cup. “When this team comes together, I think we’ll slip straight back into us being in a great position. We’re all looking forward to it.

“You look through our line-up, we’ve got a team full of match winners and guys that on their day can take the game away from the opposition. I think that’s what it’s going to take. Any day when it’s one of our players’ chance to go and win us a game – if we can take that (chance) it’s going to be hard for anyone to stop us.”

Nevertheless, as promising as it looks on paper, we won't truly know how good this Australian team is until we see it in action.

The Aussies start their campaign on 23 October against South Africa and you’ll be wanting to watch that match.


The squad
Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Their fixtures
23 Oct – v South Africa
28 Oct – v Sri Lanka
30 Oct – v England
4 Nov – v Bangladesh
6 Nov – v West Indies

Tournament history
Best finish: Runners up – 2010

The T20 World Cup has continually been a case of so close yet so far for Australia. Defeated in the semi-finals by eventual champions India in 2007, the Australians lost the Final against England in 2010. In 2012 they reached the semi-finals again, and once again lost to the eventual champions as they were blown away by the West Indies. They will be looking to reach the knockout stages for the first time since 2012 this year.

Look out for
Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh stepped up in a big way for Australia in their tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh, doing his utmost to fill the gap left by the absence of several key players. It wasn’t enough to save Australia from 4-1 defeats in each campaign, but he ended both series with his reputation enhanced.

That was particularly true against the West Indies, where he was Australia’s highest run-scorer (219 at 43.80 with a strike rate of 152.08) and wicket-taker (eight wickets at 9.7, economy of 6.76).

With four fifties from his past 10 innings, he has gone from being on the periphery of Australia’s T20 thoughts to being a potential central figure. The challenge for Australia will be working out how to make the most of his talents alongside the returning stars. The challenge for Marsh will be adjusting to life lower down the order if Steve Smith is seen as the No.3 – the all-rounder’s success of late has come at first drop.

Key player
Glenn Maxwell

Across international cricket’s three formats, T20Is are the ones that can most often be swung in the space of a handful of deliveries. It makes batters with the ability to clear the ropes regularly invaluable. Having one that catches fire early in the tournament, can make or break a team’s campaign.

In Maxwell, Australia have one of the most inventive and explosive batters in the game. He boasts the best strike rate of anyone who has batted at least 20 times in T20I cricket, scoring at a strike rate of 158.92. That number goes up to 160 in T20 World Cups – a number bettered only by Daren Sammy in tournament history (minimum 125 balls).

Importantly, he is a brilliant player of spin, which will be crucial in the UAE and particularly important to an Australian team that’s biggest issue against West Indies and Bangladesh was taking on the turning ball.

When Australia’s men’s team last tasted success at an ICC event – the Cricket World Cup 2015 – Maxwell was a central figure, averaging 64.80 with a strike rate of 182.02. If he can find touch anything like that this time around, Australia’s chances skyrocket.

Big match
England - Australia went down 2-1 when they last took on England in a T20I series but pushed the hosts all the way, losing the opening match by just two runs. A victory over the top-ranking men's T20I team in the world would be

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Australia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Australia</a> last 22 T20Is:<br><br>Won 7<br>Lost 15<br><br>But never write them off at a World Cup<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvSA</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1451905912453619714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
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[MenInG]

Justin Langer predicts Ashton Agar's shock omission for Australia's T20 World Cup opener will be the first of several tough calls for him in the UAE.

Finger spinner Agar, the nation's top-ranked bowler in the format, was the unlucky omission for the win over South Africa as Australia went with three quicks.

The decision allowed selectors to unleash Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in the same T20 attack for the first time in the five-wicket win.

Agar has been a mainstay in Australia's T20 side in recent years, while Kane Richardson also missed out despite Langer labelling him the team's best death bowler.

Both Langer and captain Aaron Finch claimed Saturday's selection was largely about match-ups and starting strong in the powerplay, which proved crucial throughout the IPL on the same grounds.

But Sunday night's win potentially left Australia with even more questions for the rest of the tournament as they head to Dubai for Thursday night's clash with Sri Lanka.

Wickets are expected to get slower as the tournament goes on, potentially paving the way for a return to two spinners and only two frontline quicks if Australia opt for seven batters.

Hazlewood (1-19) and Cummins (2-17) have rarely been in Australia's T20 team in recent years, but were by far their best bowlers in Abu Dhabi.

Starc is Australia's best white-ball bowler and an x-factor with the ball, but was comparatively loose in the win over South Africa while finishing with figures of 2-32.

"They're all tough decisions. There's no doubt about that," Langer said.

"We've said from day one to the players and we did it in the last World Cup and to a degree in the last Ashes in England.

"We'll just look at the conditions, we'll look at the opposition, we'll look at the matchups, and we'll make the call that we think is right for the team.

"It doesn't always work out that way. But with all the information we've got we'll work through that."

Langer's comments come after Marcus Stoinis predicted that all 15 members of Australia's squad would play during the tournament.

Stoinis and Mitch Marsh were not required to bowl against South Africa as Glenn Maxwell got through four overs, but the trio's inclusion has allowed Australia to play seven batters.

Maxwell even took the new ball and removed Temba Bavuma in a two-over powerplay spell that went for just 11.

"I can't emphasize enough how tough it was on Ashton Agar, his numbers are literally outstanding," Langer said.

"And really tough on Kane Richardson.

"It's nice to have those selection headaches, but it worked okay yesterday."

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/jus...ashton-agar-south-africa-sri-lanka/2021-10-24

 

[MenInG]

Steve Smith is the Bob the Builder of the Australian team at the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Can he fix it? Yes he can!

"My job is basically to fix it if our top order doesn't come off, build a partnership with whoever I'm batting with at the time at that stage, if our top order do go well, the likelihood is I'll slide slightly down the order and let our big strong boys go out and attack it," Smith said.

"I think I've done it pretty well in our trial games and our first game against South Africa."

Mr Fix-it made 35 off 34 balls in the win over South Africa, as well as 57 (vs India) and 35 (vs New Zealand) in the two practice games.

Smith is more than capable of clearing the boundary rope himself and will adjust his role according to the match situation.

"It depends who I'm batting with, if I'm batting with a Glenn Maxwell, my job's to get him on strike and let him go about his business and [the] same with some of the other stronger guys," said Smith.

"I know what I need to do, the rest of the team knows my role, I think we're all very clear on the way we all want to play, that clarity's there, it's just about going and doing it."

Australia boasts plenty of power hitters like Mitch Marsh, Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis but the potential for more low scoring games on spin-friendly pitches could mean the 32-year-old Smith is a trump card.

"You need the ability to get off strike and manipulate the ball to certain areas, more than just the power," said Smith.

"You've just gotta sum up conditions on any given day, in the IPL playing on these wickets there was a lot of really scrappy cricket, not huge scores, which made the games pretty interesting and quite close, which is exciting as well.

"Some of these wickets even the powerful blokes have struggled to hit sixes so you need some smarts about you in the middle and playing the situation and just having the ability to limit dot balls and get off strike."

While embracing his Mr Fix-it role, Smith believes an imminent return to form from openers David Warner and Aaron Finch means he won't be required to do as many repair jobs in coming games, beginning with the next match on Thursday against Sri Lanka.

"Sometimes T20 can be like that, you can go on a run of outs and then you play a couple of good shots and you're away," said Smith.

"We've got plenty of faith in the guys at the top of the order, they're experienced, they've done the job for many years.

"Davey looked exceptionally sharp out in the middle playing against (Kagiso) Rabada and (Anrich) Nortje; his feet were moving really well, he hit some beautiful shots, those guys are working hard, I've no doubt they'll turn it around."

The former Australian captain missed tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh with an elbow injury. A man who's known for batting almost every minute of the day has had to change his ways.

"I've tried to bat every second day or not bat three days in a row just to take a bit of load off," said Smith.

"On the days I'm batting I'm batting for as long as I really want to, which is nice.

Ben Stokes has declared himself available for this summer's Ashes, and his teammates and former England players say his inclusion could change the series.

"I'm still taking it easy at the moment, just making sure I'm only batting two days in a row, not three days in a row, and I'll build up again as we get closer to playing some longer formats," said Smith.

And when long-form cricket arrives, it will be a summer against the old enemy, England.

Smith has welcomed the news that match-winning all-rounder Ben Stokes has committed to the Ashes tour. Stokes had taken time out from cricket to focus on his mental health and recover from a finger injury.

"I think any team's more dangerous when you've got someone like Ben Stokes playing so it certainly adds a lot to their depth," he said.

"We're excited and I'm glad personally that he's able to be back playing some cricket.

"Credit to Ben to be able to make that decision and step away and make sure he's right to be able to go out and play and live his life, there's more out there sometimes than just the game of cricket."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10...x-it-batting-order-at-t20-world-cup/100570784

 

[Saj]

Australia coach Justin Langer believes his team can re-establish themselves as the best in the world as they prepare for a potential semi-final showdown with Pakistan at the Twenty20 World Cup this week.

Langer's team booked their place in the last four on Saturday as David Warner's unbeaten 89 steered the Australians to an eight-wicket win over the West Indies that secured a second spot in Group 1 of the competition's Super 12 phase.

"Not that long ago we were the best team in the world and some of that cricket shows we can be the best team in the world," Langer told reporters.

"I think England are leading the way at the moment and we've got exciting prospects.

"We're taking great lesssons from this tournament on how we can continue to play T20 cricket now, for this tournament, and moving forward."

The Australians made a strong start in the competition before suffering a heavy eight-wicket defeat against England that left the Aaron Finch-captained side uncertain about their place in the knockout rounds.

But comprehensive wins over Bangladesh and the West Indies ended those doubts and the Australians are likely to face Pakistan, who lead Group 2 with their final match against Scotland to be played on Sunday, in Thursday's semi-finals.

"It was brilliant again last night, I think our last few games have been outstanding cricket," said Langer.

"The boys have really stepped up. It was quite a sobering experience against England. We knew we had to do some work and the way the boys responded to that has been brilliant, so it's nice to be in the semi-final.

"You can't win it unless you're in the semi-final. It's nice to be sitting here, knowing we're in a semi-final on Thursday."

Pakistan have been the dominant force in Group 1, winning all four of the matches to date, and Langer looks forward to the clash in Dubai.

"They've got a good all-round team, like we have, and they're well-led," he said.

"Their captain, Babar Azam, is a superstar of the game. They've some good pace bowlers and they've a couple of good spinners, so they're a well-balanced side like we are, so it should be a great game of cricket."

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/australians-can-be-best-world-says-coach-langer-2021-11-07/