ICC ODI RANKING: 5th.
Batters/Fielders: Aaron Finch ©, Alex Carey (WK), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith, David Warner
Bowlers: Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
All Rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis
Don’t Sleep On
–Adam Zampa: Prone to getting key wickets, Zampa’s ability to sniff out that wicket in the time of need is something Australia needs. With Starc and Cummins expected to do the heavy lifting, Zampa’s ability to hold down the middle overs is key.
–Usman Khawaja: It’s hard to overlook a guy who put up 98, 62, 88, 100, 91, and 104 in matches against India and Pakistan, yet most of the attention on this Australia team seems to be on Warner and Smith coming back. Khawaja is going to take over a match this tournament, you watch.
Needed to Make a Run
–Steve Smith: The former Australian captain looks to regain his ODI form after extended time away. He’s going to get his chances, how he capitalizes on them will say a lot about Australia’s run.
–David Warner: Similar to Smith, Warner being back in the squad is a huge boost to the offensive attack. Warner’s the leading run getter in the IPL without even playing the final few matches, which is incredible. He’s peaking at the right time and that’s terrifying for non-Australian fans.
Key to the Cup
–Mitchell Starc: After being the leading wicket-taker at the 2015 World Cup, Starc is certainly not afraid of the big stage. While he may not need to reach that level of dominance again, his leadership and ability to take key & early wickets is vital if Australia wants to repeat as champions.
Why Should I Watch?
They’re the defending World Cup champions, that should be enough, right? Add on to that the drama surrounding Smith and Warner’s return to the lineup and this Australia team, more than others, is a must watch squad.
How Fun is this Team to Watch? (10/10)
Can I trade fun for drama-filled? (Remembers this is my blog and I can do whatever I want) Yes, I can! Make that 10/10 because who the hell knows what’s going on with this team. Smith and Warner should fit back into the squad seamlessly, but that would just be too easy, right?
Best Case
World Cup glory. That’s it, that’s the only reason Australia comes to these events. There is no other scenario where Aussie fans leave happy.
Worst Case:
Oh boy. This is where it gets fun. Smith and Warner’s return causes mayhem in the locker room causing shocking losses and an early exit. Off the field issues arise and force a member of the team to be sent home during the tournament, bringing back the dark cloud over Australian cricket. Unlikely, sure, but this is the absolute worst case scenario, so simply losing to England, India, New Zealand and a shocking upset to Afghanistan, isn’t necessarily out of the question.
Prediction
The team unites and things start to click as the tournament gets going. They don’t win in spectacular fashion, but I think they make a deep run. It’s Australia, it’s what they do.
The American Slogger 