Australia’s Experienced Squad
Australia comes to the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India with a deep, experienced team.
Program stalwarts such as Mitchell Starc and captain Pat Cummins are part of a crew of seven men on this year’s team who were also a part of the 2015 World Cup squad, in which the Australians claimed victory.
Steve Smith, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood, and Glenn Maxwell are the other five joining Starc and Cummins as each of these World Cup veterans are expected to play pivotal roles for Australia in the coming weeks.
Aside from those seven, of the other eight members of team Australia, seven of them are 28 years of age or older. 24 year old All-rounder Cameron Green is the youngest man on the squad and the only one below the age of 28 but was a part of this year’s Ashes squad and is not short on experience.
The depth of this Australian side should be an advantage in a tournament format as long and gruelling as the five week, one-day match World Cup structure.
Australia is a balanced squad as well with the aforementioned David Warner and Mitchell Marsh pressing at the top of the order while Cummins and Starc provide a terrific 1-2 punch of world class bowlers.
All in all, it’s evident that Cricket Australia prioritized experience and consistency when determining the players that would make up this 15-man roster. Though they certainly do not lack skill or talent anywhere on the pitch.
Australia’s Tournament Outlook
Australia begins their World Cup journey tomorrow against hosts and odds on favourites to win it all India. Though it’s the first of the tournament for both teams, the match bares significant weight as the winner will be in the driver’s seat to qualify through to the knockout rounds atop the table.
Australia is by most accounts the second best team at the World Cup and will have to complete an upset in this opening match to start their World Cup on a positive note.
Their second match is against South Africa, in which they theoretically should be the stronger side. However, the South African’s have proved they can be a dangerous competitor and the Aussies cannot take them lightly.
Australia will have to show mental strength over these first two matches as in the past month they have been defeated by both India and South Africa.
Australia plays their island cousins New Zealand on October 28th in a match that could be of utmost importance. New Zealand is coming off a runner-up finish in the World Cup in 2019.
The match after that one will be against reigning champions England on November 4th. Much like the Aussies opening match with India, this could be one that decides who qualifies in first place.
Aussie’s Looking to Return to the Mountain Top
Australia have won four of the past six Cricket World Cups. However, they fell in the semi-finals of 2019’s event to England and then had to watch their rivals claim the championship.
I’m sure the men of the Aussie side are eager to take back what they lost four years ago and prove once again that they are the pre-eminent side in the world of cricket.
India, England, Pakistan and the host of other teams will not go easily as each team in the field has class and no match can be taken for granted.
