With the 2024 T20 World Cup less than six weeks away, here’s an attempt at predicting Australia’s squad for the event.
Australia, who won their first T20 World Cup in 2021, will head into the next one in the USA and the Caribbean on the back of six T20Is played this year: three against the West Indies and three against New Zealand. After the squads for these two series were announced, chief selector George Bailey had mentioned that a close eye will be kept on IPL performances as well.
“We will also fully utilise the opportunity to monitor and watch the performances of the Australian players in the IPL immediately preceding the World Cup,” Bailey said earlier this year.
With more than half the IPL done and World Cup squad announcements expected to be made sooner rather than later, here’s a prediction of what the Australia squad might look like.
Since the start of 2023, Head has scored the most runs as an opener for Australia in T20Is – 311 at a strike rate of 166. But more recently, he seems to have found a cheat code to T20 batting in the IPL, striking at 216 with more than 300 runs to his name in just six games. Before the IPL began, he might have been competing with Short for the second opener’s slot, but that has now been more or less sealed.
Warner picks himself for what would be his last outing for Australia, with the backup opener’s spot being up for grabs between Steve Smith and Short.
Since last year, Short has batted eight times for Australia, five of which have been as an opener. From those five games, he has scored 118 runs at a strike rate of 187. Smith on the other hand, has played only four games, all as an opener, and has made 86 runs at 128. Along with his superior strike rate, Short’s ability to bowl part-time off-spin also gives him the edge over Smith, who might have to miss out.
Marsh, the designated T20I captain for Australia, is currently recovering from a partial hamstring tear which has ruled him out of IPL 2024, and is expected to be fit for the World Cup which starts in June. Maxwell, despite his poor form in the IPL, is a sure starter in the XI, while David has been the second-highest run-scorer for Australia in the shortest format since the last year.
Things get interesting when it comes to the fourth middle-order batter and/or all-rounder. Stoinis was in both T20I squads this year for Australia, while Green was a part of the last T20 World Cup squad. One man who is yet to play T20Is, however, might end up pipping both of them: Fraser-McGurk.
Stoinis played one of the greatest IPL innings in a run-chase recently, taking LSG home in a run-chase of 211 in Chennai, but even that might not be enough for him to get a ticket to the Caribbean. The 22-year-old Fraser-McGurk has, meanwhile, lit up the IPL, scoring two fifties in his first three games at a strike rate of 222. Green has struggled in the IPL so far and has only played one T20I since 2023, indicating he might not be in plans.
Inglis and Wade were the two wicketkeepers in the Australia at the last T20 World Cup. They are expected to hold their respective places, although picking one of the two for the first XI will be a tough choice to make.
The holy trinity of Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc pick themselves. Jason Behrendorff has picked the most wickets for Australia in this format since last year, but the freak injury he suffered right before the IPL means there’s no certainty around his fitness for the T20 World Cup. Sean Abbott has done well too, having picked 10 wickets in six T20Is since 2023, but Ellis’ specialist death-over skills will almost certainly give him the edge, while Johnson might come in as Behrendorff’s replacement and Starc’s backup.
Zampa might have gone at 10.37 runs per over in eight T20Is since the start of 2023, but expect Australia’s No.1 frontline spinner in white-ball cricket to do the job once again come the T20 World Cup. Like the 2023 ODI World Cup, Zampa will most probably be the sole spinner in the squad with Maxwell for backup.
Mitchell Marsh (c), Matthew Wade (wk), Josh Inglis (wk), David Warner, Travis Head, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson, Matt Short.
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