Rahul NareshThe Aussies walk into their home World Cup with some confidence. They are the current T20I World Cup holders and will be looking to retain the trophy on home soil.
Australia have the attack to suit their pitches: hard and fast bowlers, and an explosive and deep batting lineup. Among the talented lot that the Australian team have to showcase, here are my top five players to look out for in the coming World Cup.
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Aaron Finch
Captain Aaron Finch’s place in the Australian national team has been questioned for some time now, yet he continues to hold his position on the side along with fellow opener David Warner. Cameron Green, who performed exceptionally well in the India tour, has been left out of the fifteen-man Australia squad for the World Cup.
Green’s performances during the India tour as an opening batter surpassed expectations and has put more pressure on Finch’s position in the side. Warner returns after his break granted by the management due to his heavy workload.
Seeing Warner as the undroppable player, all eyes will be on Finch in hopes of high-level performances at the World Cup. Should he fail, reactions could be stern and many could advocate for Green to replace the Aussie skipper.
Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell can never be left out of the conversation for the top picks in any tournament. It always feels like he could well be left out of a side, but that time never comes, in the hope that he turns up.
To be fair to Maxwell, he did turn up for the Royal Challengers Bangalore since his introduction to the team in the Indian Premier League earlier this year. However, his form did not seem to have carried through to his international performances in the T20 format for Australia.
However, a facet of Maxwell’s game that seems to have caught the attention of many is his skill with the ball. He can bowl tight overs with the ball in a T20 game, and this particular asset of his would be quite useful to the Australian side.
Given Australia’s lengthy batting line-up, a successful tournament with the bat for Maxwell would be a welcome bonus for the side.
Adam Zampa
The conversation about the use of spin in Australia, particularly wrist spin, will always exist ahead of a major tournament. Adam Zampa has been reasonable at the Big Bash League over the years. He averages more than one wicket a game, and his Economy Rate is a tad over seven. Zampa cannot be doubted for his ability to face up to some of the biggest challenges.
However, Zampa will be up against some of the best players in world cricket, a few of whom are in great nick. His form entering the tournament is a little topsy-turvy. He went for runs in two of the three games against India in India but put up a splendid performance in the second game of the series, which was shortened due to a wet outfield. Eyes will surely be on him at the World Cup, as will be the same for all the wrist spinners in the tournament.
Josh Hazlewood
Josh Hazlewood has of late announced himself as a real contender for the “best bowler” tag across all three formats of the international game. For the longest time, Pat Cummins was regarded as Australia’s best bowler, but Hazlewood seems to be proving a real challenge to him. He has had brilliant IPL campaigns with both the Chennai Super Kings and the Royal Challengers Bangalore when entrusted with bowling the first few overs.
Hazlewood’s metronomic nature that he carries forward from Test cricket has proved quite useful in the shortest format of the game. Of course, wickets in Australia will assist him with pace and bounce, a factor that will surely trouble batters at the top. However, what is left to be seen is whether Hazlewood is used at the death, and, if so, how the tall quick will face the challenge.
Matthew Wade
The real deal in Australian cricket at the moment is Matthew Wade. The wicketkeeper-batter is in red-hot form and fits well into his role as a finisher for the Aussies. Unlike the position he played for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL earlier this year, Wade seems to have taken nicely to his role for his international team.
Wade was the man for Australia in their recent tour of India. Although he fell short of scoring fifties on two occasions, he put up a stellar display in the back end of games. Wade’s ability to perform on the big stage has already been established. He smashed 41 in just 17 balls to help Australia win a tricky semi-final against Pakistan during the 2021 T20I World Cup. Both Australia and the cricketing world will be keeping a close eye on Wade’s performances in the coming World Cup as well.
