Australia. (Photo by BIJU BORO/AFP via Getty Images)
The excitement for the 2024 T20I World Cup is running high as the event is set to start in just over a month. This time 20 teams are set to take part in the tournament which is set to run for four weeks. Australia head into the tournament as one of the firm favourites having won two ICC Titles in 2023.
Aaron Finch had led the side to their first and only ICC T20I World Cup title win in 2021. The very next edition of the tournament which was hosted by Australia saw the home team and defending champions’ crash out in the first phase of the tournament.
The last time the tournament was played in this part of the world, Australia had reached the finals. The team had lost to arch-rivals England in the final, but this time the team had a few swashbuckling stars
Here is Australia’s probable 15-man squad for the 2024 T20I Squad:
1. David Warner
David Warner. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
In what is set to be his final-ever international tournament for Australia, David Warner would want to go out on a high. Notwithstanding his current form in the IPL for Delhi Capitals this year, the left-handed batter is a force to be reckoned with. So far Warner has played 103 games for Australia and scored over 3000 runs with four centuries and 62 half-centuries.
David Warner was one of the best batters for Australia during the 2023 ODI World Cup. His ability to take the bowlers early with effortless ease makes him one of the most dangerous batters in this format of the game.
2. Travis Head
Travis-Head. (Photo by MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images)
One of the most destructive batters in the world today, Travis Head has created fear in the minds of many bowlers. His explosive batting performances for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024 have become a huge talking point for many teams worldwide. Travis Head’s batting has changed the way powerplay overs are being played in T20 Cricket.
With the tracks in the West Indies conducive for tall-scoring, Travis Head could be a handful on grounds with short boundaries. Travis Head is also more than capable with the ball with his off-spin bowling. The Australian captain can call upon Head to bowl a few overs if the team needs wickets in the middle overs.
3. Steve Smith
Steve Smith. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
Australia will be looking at Steve Smith as a key batter in the side during the T20 World Cup in June. The right-handed batter will turn 35 when the tournament begins and this could perhaps be one of the last times Steve Smith plays in this format for his county.
In 67 matches for Australia, Steve Smith is just 6 runs shy of 1100 runs with 5 half-centuries. There is no better sight to watch than Steve Smith in full flow taking on the best bowlers in the world and hitting them for crisp boundaries.
4. Mitchell Marsh
Mitchell Marsh Batting. (Photo Source: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
The Australians have always been blessed with players who can bat well and chip in with the ball. Mitchell Marsh, over the last few years, has become a key part of the national set-up in all three formats of the game.
The 32-year-old has the ability to go on the attack against the fast bowlers and also use the long handle with ease against the spinner. When he started, Mitchell Marsh had a decent amount of pace with the ball. Due to constant injuries, Marsh now relies more on a change of pace with the ball to outfox the opposition batters.
5. Jake Fraser-McGurk
Jake Fraser-McGurk. (Source -Twitter/X)
In just a few months, young Jake Fraser-McGurk has been able to make a huge impression and show what a great talent he is with the bat. The right-handed batter exploded onto the scene with his blistering fastest century in List A Cricket.
His biggest moment in the world stage came when he was signed by Delhi Capitals as a replacement player for IPL 2024. In the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Jake Fraser-McGurk scored a fifty off 15 balls including hitting Washington Sundar for 30 runs in an over.
6. Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
In the T20 format, no other player is as dangerous with the as much as Marcus Stoinis. The 34-year-old is a specialist in giving his side the much-needed push with the bat in the final few overs of the innings.
Marcus Stoinis has been one of the most underrated T20 players in the world for a long time. With 940 runs from 59 games with a strike rate of 145, Marcus Stoinis will be a huge player for Australia during the 2024 T20 World Cup if they have to win the title.
7. Glenn Maxwell
Glenn-Maxwell. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
Cricket fans around the world the sight of Glenn Maxwell coming out to bat. The 35-year-old has for years been the biggest X-Factor for whichever side he is part of. Glenn Maxwell has been one of the biggest names in the T20I format for Australia with over 2400 runs and five centuries with an average of 30 and a mind-blowing strike rate of 155.
Even with the ball, Glenn Maxwell is grossly understood as he has picked 40 wickets with his off-spin bowling. The man from Victoria has an economy rate shade under 8 runs per over which is very good for a part-time bowler.
Also Read: India’s Probable 15-Member Squad for T20 World Cup 2024
8. Tim David
Tim David. (Source -Twitter/X)
One of the latest additions to the Australian side, there is no dearth of talent in Tim David. The 28-year-old has been one of the most sought-after names in franchise cricket, especially as a finisher in the death overs.
Tim David has already appeared in 39 matches for Australia and scored 1062 runs. He also has hit six half-centuries with a best of 92 in his short career. What makes Tim David a dangerous customer is his ability to strike the ball big and clean as evident with his strike-rate of 163.6 during his T20 career so far.
9. Josh Inglis
Josh Inglis. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
In the land of great wicketkeepers and batters like Adam Gilchrist, Ian Healy, Rod Marsh, and Brad Haddin, the name Josh Inglis has created new excitement. The 29-year-old is very destructive with the bat as he showed with a century against India in late 2023.
Josh Inglis can bat anywhere in the order and is adept at playing as per the situation. With the gloves too he is pretty athletic and considered one of the best wicketkeepers in Australia at this point of time.
10. Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins (Photo Source: Twitter)
30-year-old Pat Cummins is the modern-day Midas of Cricket. The 30-year-old has been able to re-establish Australia as one of the top sides in the world by winning the ICC World Test Championships and the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. Pat Cummins is one of those rare stars in the world today who can show his talents in all facets of the game.
Be it with the new ball, or as the first-change bowler or even in the death overs, the role of Pat Cummins with the ball is highly crucial. The 30-year-old is also more than handy with the bat and on his day he can cut even the best bowlers to size with his big-hitting skills.
11. Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Starc (Photo Source: Twitter)
One of the greatest bowlers in the world right now and a dangerous bowler with the new ball, Mitchell Starc is already an all-time great. The 34-year-old may not have fared well in the IPL but there is no doubt the quality he brings to the table with the ball.
Mitchell Starc is one of those rare bowlers who can change the course of the game in the few first overs with the ball. His ability to swing the ball at high-speeds and also bowl his famous toe-crushing Yorkers makes him a formidable threat for any team.
12. Josh Hazlewood
Josh Hazlewood (Photo Source: Twitter)
The Australian team benefitted greatly from having one of the best fast-bowling trios in the history of the modern game. Josh Hazlewood is the most potent bowler from the Australian set-up as he can prize out the best batters in the world.
The right-arm pacer can leave the batters puzzled with his accuracy and also deceptive pace. Even in the death overs, Hazlewood can be a handful with his cutters and change of pace and outfox the best batters in the business.
13. Adam Zampa
Adam-Zampa. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)
Touted as one of the best spinners in the white-ball format, Adam Zampa is a huge player in the Australia set-up. The right-leg-spinner is one of the most spinners for his wicket-taking skills and his accuracy with the ball.
Whenever Australia are in trouble it is Adam Zampa who comes up with the goods for his side. The 32-year-old has already picked 92 wickets in T20I cricket and a total of 299 wickets in T20 matches. His economy of 7.28 makes him one of the best bowlers and certainly one of the most dangerous.
14. Matthew Wade
Matthew Wade. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
At the age of 36, Matthew Wade is entering his final few years in top-flight cricket. His best moment in the T20 format came during the 2021 T20 World Cup against Pakistan. Three sixes from three balls sealed the fate of Babar Azam and his team and helped Australia move into the final and win the title.
Matthew Wade has played 85 T20I matches for Australia and scored 1175 runs with an average of 26.7 and a strike rate of 134. While he may not make it to the playing XI, having a player like Wade in the team does make Australia a stronger unit.
15. Nathan Ellis
Nathan Ellis. (Source -Twitter/X)
Right-arm pacer Nathan Ellis isn’t the typical Australian seamer but has managed to create a niche for himself nonetheless. The right-arm quick has a deceptive pace and a very well-disguised slower ball and an effective Yorker
The tracks in the West Indies may suit Nathan Ellis as it tends to slow down as the game goes on. With 24 wickets from 14 games and an economy rate of 8 runs per over, Nathan Ellis can be called one of the best dark horses of the T20I World Cup 2024.