Australia begin their T20 World Cup preparations on home soil this week and captain Aaron Finch has revealed the reigning champions are close to settling on their best XI for the tournament
Green still on Cup outer as Aussies fine-tune plans
Aaron Finch has cooled suggestions that Cameron Green might find his way into Australia's T20 World Cup squad, but revealed the reigning champions are close to settling on their best XI for the tournament.
The Aussies this week begin a run of six matches at home leading into their tournament opener later this month when they take on West Indies on the Gold Coast in a two-match Dettol T20I series.
The fitness of allrounders Mitch Marsh (available as a batter only for now as he recovers from an ankle injury) and Marcus Stoinis (still out with a side strain) has meant Green has been kept on for the Windies matches this week despite not being part of the 15-man squad for the World Cup.
The 23-year-old prodigy turned heads last month, scoring a pair of brisk half-centuries against world No.1 ranked India opening the batting in David Warner's absence.
Test captain Pat Cummins hinted last week that Green could find his way into Australia's Cup squad if an injury arose.
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But Finch was less certain: "I'm not sure at the moment – I don't think so," he told reporters at Metricon Stadium on Tuesday.
"It's just one of those things – he had a really good tour of India, it was good for him to get an opportunity to open the batting so he'll get more opportunities.
"He'll get an opportunity at some point in this series. The reason we've carried him is to have an extra bowling resource as well.
"Obviously his batting is exceptional, and he shows a lot with the ball. He keeps developing and he keeps improving every time he gets an opportunity."
While Finch deferred naming their side for Wednesday's series opener until the toss, the 35-year-old indicated the team's brains trust has a strong idea of what their best XI for the World Cup is.
He was unequivocal that that will include Marsh in the No.3 spot, even while he is not bowling, and David Warner and Mitchell Starc are also available after that trio missed the whistlestop trip to India.
"He's made that number three spot his own in T20 Cricket," Finch said of Marsh.
"The way that he played in the lead up and then through the World Cup (last year) is so important for the way that we want to play and to give us a lot of flexibility through that middle order."
Stoinis is firming to resume his middle-order spot for Sunday's first T20I against England in Perth, where the allrounder is currently completing rehabilitation.
What remains unclear is whether Tim David's power will be preferred over Steve Smith's craftiness in the middle-order.
"It just depends on the way we want to structure up the team," Finch said.
"'Smudge' (Smith) has played a really important role for us being flexible through the powerplay or potentially sliding a little bit outside the powerplay.
"That shows the depth of the squad and the strength of it that we're having those tough calls to make it at various times.
"It's a really good problem to have.
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"It's never easy when you're trying to balance up the side, particularly when the allrounders aren't fully fit at the moment. That gives us an opportunity to keep tinkering with the squad.
"We feel as though we've got our best XI in the back of our mind, but it's just not everyone's 100 per cent fit at the moment to make that happen.
"But we've still got a little bit of time for that over the next two and a half weeks."
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Since moving away from the five-specialist-bowler team make-up on the eve of last year's World Cup success, Australia have doubled down on their batter-heavy preference in white-ball cricket.
They have even gone into recent ODI games with just three frontline bowlers.
Finch is keen to stick with that approach, but needs Stoinis and Marsh fully fit to make it work.
"For the balance of the side, it's better when they are both bowling because you can get caught a little bit short (on batting) if you go in with five bowlers," he explained.
Men's Dettol T20I Series v West Indies
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Wednesday Oct 5: Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast, 6:10pm
Friday Oct 7: The Gabba, Brisbane, 6:10pm
Buy #AUSvWI T20 tickets here