Captain Smith has a host of all-round talent to call upon in his current T20 squad
Australia T20 form guide: Allrounders
The infrequency of international Twenty20 cricket often provides an air of uncertainty when two nations collide in the game's shortest format.
For some players it could be hours between fixtures, for others it could be years. But with the emergence of domestic tournaments scattered across the globe, there is often no shortage of T20 cricket available to those who are keen, and have the necessary skills.
In order to take some of the guess work out of what to expect from Australia in their three-match T20 international series against South Africa, which starts on Friday in Durban, here's a rundown of Australia's allrounders, with bowlers to follow tomorrow.
James Faulkner
ICC T20I batting ranking: N/A
ICC T20 batting ranking: 54th
Image Id: ~/media/85BBC08CA84346878EB32EFBE41E92AFLast 10 matches
29/01/16 – 10 (7b, 1x6); 0-35 (3), Australia v India, MCG
26/01/16 – 10 (7b, 1x6); 1-43 (4), Australia v India, Adelaide Oval
06/01/16 – DNB; 0-11 (1), Stars v Hurricanes, MCG
02/01/16 – DNB; 0-26 (3), Stars v Renegades, MCG
27/12/15 – 0 (1b); 0-13 (1), Stars v Sixers, SCG
20/12/15 – 45no (36b, 2x4); 0-49 (4), Stars v Thunder, MCG
18/12/15 – 10no (10b, 1x4); 2-21 (4), Stars v Strikers, Adelaide Oval
29/08/15 – 5 (3b, 1x4); 2-25 (4), Lancashire v Northampton, Edgbaston
29/08/15 – 20no (14b, 2x6); 3-29 (3.5), Lancashire v Hampshire, Edgbaston
15/08/15 – 4no (3b); 2-28 (4), Lancashire v Kent, Canterbury
Batting ave: 26; bowling ave: 31
Best match: 20no & 3-29, Lancashire v Hampshire, Edgbaston
Faulkner has been Australia's lynch pin in their one-day side during the past two years, contributing frugal overs armed with a variety of slower balls and finishing off games because, well, he's the 'Finisher'. India got a hold of him in January, picking his variations which had little impact on the roads in Melbourne and Adelaide. But the pitches on the subcontinent will suit Faulkner, whose repertoire of seamers, cutters and off-speed deliveries will grip on the slow surfaces. With no Mitchell Starc or Mitchell Johnson, Faulkner's left-arm angle is a point of difference in a diverse bowling attack.
John Hastings
ICC T20I batting ranking: N/A
ICC T20I bowling ranking: N/A
Image Id: ~/media/63FE4A68445645FCB1FC14DAAD7463CDLast 10 matches
29/01/16 – 4 (6b); 0-35 (3), Australia v India, MCG
09/01/16 – DNB; 0-46 (4), Stars v Renegades, Docklands
06/01/16 – DNB; 1-23 (4), Stars v Hurricanes, MCG
02/01/16 – DNB; 4-29 (4), Stars v Renegades, MCG
20/12/15 – DNB; 2-32 (4), Stars v Thunder, MCG
18/12/15 – 15no (8b, 1x4, 1x6); 1-40 (4), Stars v Strikers, Adelaide Oval
17/07/15 – 42 (22b, 4x4, 2x6); 1-37 (4), Durham v Nottingham, Chester-le-Street
10/07/15 – 43no (12b, 5x4, 3x6); 2-25 (3), Durham v Yorkshire, Leeds
05/07/15 – 0 (6b); 0-36 (4), Durham v Worcestershire, New Road
03/07/15 – DNB; 3-10 (3.5), Durham v Leicestershire, Chester-le-Street
Batting ave: 35; bowling ave: 22
Best match: 43no & 2-25, Durham v Worcestershire, New Road
'The Duke' continues to deliver whenever he puts on an Australian uniform. Charging in like a front-row forward, Hastings has a vast array of options with the ball, making him a handful for opposition batsmen in the dying stages. While he had another solid season for the Melbourne Stars, it's his one-day form that has led to his inclusion. In his last eight matches in ODI cricket, Hastings has conceded just 4.75 runs per over while taking 16 wickets at 22.43.
That white-ball form alone would warrant a spot in the squad, but it's his lusty hitting that makes him such a promising package. Powerfully built with long levers, Hastings makes even the biggest grounds look small. His ability to clear the rope is balanced with his cool head under pressure, as was seen when he guided Australia to victory in concert with Mitchell Marsh in Wellington last month.
Mitchell Marsh
ICC T20I batting ranking: N/A
ICC T20I bowling ranking: N/A
Image Id: ~/media/8BDD84615BE34161AC4E80E3CC4442C7Last 10 matches
21/12/15 – 1 (2b); 0-16 (2), Scorchers v Strikers, WACA Ground
31/08/15 – 13 (13b, 1x4); 0-21 (2), Australia v England, Cardiff
30/09/14 – 63no (38b, 7x4, 3x6); 2-12 (3), Scorchers v Lahore, Bangalore
27/09/14 – 19 (26b, 2x4); DNB, Scorchers v Chennai, Bangalore
24/09/14 – 4 (10b); DNB, Scorchers v Kolkata, Hyderabad
20/09/14 – 40no (26b, 3x4, 2x6); 0-21 (3), Scorchers v Dolphins, Chandigarh
07/02/14 – 37 (12b, 2x4, 4x6); DNB, Scorchers v Hurricanes, WACA Ground
05/02/14 – 3 (4b); DNB, Scorchers v Sixers, SCG
27/01/14 – 15 (14b, 3x4); DNB, Scorchers v Stars, MCG
16/01/14 – 7 (8b); 0-30 (2), Scorchers v Strikers, WACA Ground
Batting ave: 25; bowling ave: 50
Best match: 63no; 2-12, Scorchers v Lahore, Bangalore
While Hastings' form in 50-over cricket booked his ticket to India, Marsh has been picked from a touch of his Test output with the ball mixed with a pinch of one-day deeds with the bat. The allrounder could hold his own as a five-day fast bowler, taking regular wickets while cranking up the speed gun to 145kph at certain times across the summer. Only Nathan Coulter-Nile and Marsh can claim to be in the express pace category, so that extra zip could be vital.
The 24-year-old has also had a breakthrough couple of months in the ODI arena, posting his maiden century at the SCG in January, and leading Australia to victory, with Hastings by his side against the Black Caps. His T20 form has been scattered between home and abroad, but his destructive hitting makes him a daunting prospect.
Glenn Maxwell
ICC T20I batting ranking: 57th
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 33rd
Image Id: ~/media/CA4E03A992164C62BC5B57DC5955DB22Last 10 matches
31/01/16 – 3 (5b); 0-10 (1), Australia v India, SCG
29/01/16 – 1 (2b); 1-17 (2), Australia v India, MCG
06/01/16 – 56no (32b, 3x4, 3x6); 1-25 (3), Stars v Hurricanes, MCG
02/01/16 – 44 (18b, 1x6); DNB, Stars v Renegades, MCG
27/12/15 – 50 (36b, 5x4); 1-35 (4), Stars v Renegades, MCG
20/12/15 – 2 (8b); 2-28 (4), Stars v Thunder, MCG
18/12/15 – 21 (12b, 2x4, 1x6); DNB, Stars v Strikers, Adelaide Oval
31/08/15 – 44 (32b, 6x4, 1x6); 0-12 (2), Australia v England, Cardiff
17/07/15 – 17 (13b, 1x4, 1x6); 0-10 (1), Yorkshire v Northampton, Northampton
14/07/15 – 0 (1b); 0-21 (2), Yorkshire v Worcestershire, Leeds
Batting ave: 24; bowling ave: 32
Best match: 56no; 1-25, Stars v Hurricanes, MCG
Maxwell has had a lean T20 run since the last edition of the World T20 in Bangladesh two years ago – a best of 44 with three single-figure scores. What is encouraging are his performances on the big stage; Maxwell was Australia's best in Bangladesh and was named in the official ICC 2015 Cricket World Cup Team of the Tournament a year ago.
Quick Single: Maxwell looking to deliver on the big stage
He puts his poor T20I form down to the scarcity of consecutive international fixtures, but when he does get in a rhythm, he's a handful to stop. With an endless supply of shots, the Victorian can be a nightmare to set a field to. A former Indian Premier League MVP, Maxwell's experience in India, his proficiency against the turning ball and his underrated off-spin will be vital to Australia.
Shane Watson
ICC T20I batting ranking: 11th
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 24th
Image Id: ~/media/95133AE742D1499190F4E5FD57CC4151Last 10 matches
05/02/16 – 28 (31b, 4x4); 1-37 (4), Islamabad v Peshawar, Dubai
04/02/16 – 15 (27b, 1x4); 0-13 (2), Islamabad v Quetta, Dubai
31/01/16 – 124no (71b, 10x4, 6x6); 1-30 (4), Australia v India, SCG
29/01/16 – 15 (11b, 2x4); 0-17 (3), Australia v India, MCG
26/01/16 – 12 (8b, 1x6); 2-24 (4), Australia v India, Adelaide Oval
24/01/16 – 6 (7b); 2-17 (3), Thunder v Stars, MCG
21/01/16 – 7 (8b, 1x4); 2-28 (4), Thunder v Strikers, Adelaide Oval
16/01/16 – 66 (41b, 7x4, 3x6); 0-22 (2), Thunder v Sixers, SCG
11/01/16 – 62 (43b, 3x4, 4x6); 0-36 (3.2), Thunder v Renegades, Homebush
07/01/16 – 18 (17b, 3x4); 0-38 (4), Thunder v Scorchers, Homebush
Batting ave: 39; bowling ave: 33
Best match: 124no; 1-30, Australia v India, SCG
Shane Watson is Australia's greatest T20 player. The allrounder is Australia's leading wicket-taker in the format, owns the second-highest score, and is a former World T20 Player of the Tournament. Numbers suggest Watson must open the batting, and his sparkling century against India in Sydney supports that notion.
While he's known for his savage stroke play, his subtle swing and deft variations with the ball make him hard to get away, conceding 7.64 runs per over. The veteran is also a two-time IPL MVP, whose experience on the subcontinent will be counted on.