Tag: Ashton Agar

SuperCoach BBL: Honeyball creator Ben Somerford’s team reveal

I’m not one to tinker daily with my SuperCoach BBL squad.

In fact, until undertaking this team reveal exercise, I still had Rashid Khan in my team, despite SuperCoach erasing him from of the game!

However, with a few days left til BBL starts, the time has come. Needless to say, with the daily news coming through (stay tuned to Honeyball for all that … and the Herald Sun of course), it’ll change a whole heap more before the first ball on Thursday.

It’s nothing new to say the premise of my side is trying to maximise the fixture to my advantage, with an obvious lean towards Brisbane Heat players with their Round 1 triple, while the rest of my starting 11 are on doubles. But I’ve tried not to overcommit on too many players in any one fixture, so there’s a spread of teams plus exit trade plans team-by-team moving forward.

There’s also some planning on the bench with Adelaide Strikers for their stand-alone Round 2 double and some cash generation options on the pine too. One of them, however, may need to go if my VC pops and I need a non-playing player (NPP).

That’s a problem for later though.

I do want to emphasise every player has a purpose in my squad. Points on field are critical in a nine-round season, but so too is quick cash generation, so it’s a balancing act. I’ve also avoided the six most expensive players, which is risky with Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott but I just think their value will slide.

WICKETKEEPERS

Billings/McDermott

I’m not 100 per cent sold on Billings’ inclusion as he’s a 30-point-a-game kind of guy, but if he manages that three times on a triple that’s a good score — noting back-to-back SC BBL champ Andrew Langley’s target of 55 points per score involvement. I’d look to trade Billings pretty quickly after Round 1 though. He certainly shouldn’t drop much in price.

Ben McDermott looks a big cash gen option, sitting second for Marsh Cup runs this season. We’ve seen his massive ceiling previously too. Should bat top 3 for Hobart.

BATSMEN

Hardie/Munro/Maxwell/Walter/Maddinson – D.Short/Wood

I wouldn’t normally pick a bat-only like Munro but a Round 1 triple is too irresistible. English all-rounder Paul Walter is an unknown as a BBL newb but the price, probable role and triple is good enough to take a punt on ‘Tall Paul’. I certainly wasn’t scared off when studying his T20 Blast and The Hundred numbers for the Honeyball magazine (you should buy this!).

Maxy is a no-brainer and VC option, while Perth’s bowling shortage has led me to paying high for all-rounder Aaron Hardie who I think should get some overs and may be a captain option given the timing of Perth’s games, allowing you to get a look at two games from a Heat VC. Nic Maddinson is my biggest POD but I love the Gades’ early fixture with five games in the first three rounds, plus I think he’ll open with QDK out early and may bowl some overs. When QDK returns, I think he’ll still bat top 4. I am a little concerned he’s just returned from an ACL injury.

Assuming Jack Wood gets named up on Thursday, I’ll try loop him. D’Arcy Short is a bargain and ready for the Round 2 double.

BOWLERS

Neser/Tye/Curran/Sutherland/Zampa – T.Sangha/Manenti

Michael Neser’s situation needs to be on your radar. He’s the most attractive Heat player from a SuperCoach perspective on the triple and if he’s suddenly available, you need him. But there’s a lot of ifs, revolving around his fitness having withdrawn from the four-day PM’s XI game due to soreness. He may play game 1 but miss game 2 given the injury so it’s not without risk.

I think death overs specialist Andrew Tye is a little overpriced but he looms as a captain option similar to Hardie. Tom Curran and Will Sutherland look set for good roles, batting 6-7 and bowling 3-4 overs and both have doubles. Adam Zampa’s World Cup form, price and fixture are enough to win me over too.

With Rashid Khan out, Ben Manenti is in my side. I’m not fully sold on this pick. He’s never been great at BBL level but it’s all about the Round 2 double. I may still change him.

Tanveer Sangha is stashed away as a cash gen pick given he missed all of last season. He’s also someone you’ll want to get cheap before the Thunder’s Round 4 double.

If you liked that squad or reasoning, head to Honeyball.com.au for more info, news and insights. Become a HB member or buy our SC BBL magazine.

DAMO’S TEAM REVEAL

Follow Damo at @damosc on Twitter/X and Damo’s SuperCoach on YouTube

I can’t remember the last time so much has been unknown, especially with all the hullabaloo about player availability.

There hasn’t been a day I haven’t tinkered with my team, but I think I have finally settled on something I like.

I thought I was crazy in not selecting any Sixers, but when two-time winner Andrew Langley revealed his team, I was glad I wasn’t alone in the thought.

Test players being available, and then not available has thrown a spanner in the works.

The Prime Minister’s XI has also deprived us of Michael Neser who I was hot on starting until his selection against Pakistan.

WICKETKEEPERS

Sam Billings (Brisbane Heat $116,900 BAT-WKP)

Ben McDermott (Hobart Hurricanes $88,000 WKP-BAT)

McDermott at under 100k is too good to leave out, but a less than ideal BBL last summer was the reason we get such a bargain. His early fixture isn’t great, but doesn’t need a lot of chances to make money for us at his low price.

I had planned for Quinton de Kock, but him being out of the opening round has caused me to shift to Billings as my keeper and bring in Aaron Hardie.

BATTERS

Will Sutherland (Melbourne Renegades $158,400 BAT-BWL)

Colin Munro (Brisbane Heat $156,100 BAT)

Aaron Hardie (Perth Scorchers $178,300 BAT-BWL)

Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars $118,300 BAT-BWL)

Cooper Connolly (Perth Scorchers $70,500 BAT-BWL)

D’Arcy Short (Adelaide Strikers $67,500 BAT)

Sam Whiteman (Perth Scorchers $62,500 BAT-WKP)

Colin Munro would be hard to leave out with Brisbane Heat having the triple game week first up, and his form leading up to the BBL is also hard to ignore with the Kiwi hitting boundaries for fun in competitions around the world.

I was already picking Gades all-rounder Will Sutherland, and he should play a key role in the Renegades campaign. An injury cloud over Kane Richardson opens the door right open for Sutherland to take up residence in the Renegades bowling attack, if he wasn’t already, as he has been a regular wicket taker at state level for Victoria in both the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup.

Maxwell has been in excellent form, and not much needs to be said that hasn’t already been said, while Billings will keep and bat top order while Jimmy Peirson is unavailable for the Heat.

Cooper Connolly should continue where he left off for the Scorchers, especially in the absence of Ashton Agar, while D’Arcy Short and Sam Whiteman have cash cow potential.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar0rj1rOYT0

BOWLERS

Jhye Richardson (Perth Scorchers $247,000 BWL)

Jason Behrendorff (Perth Scorchers $177,600 BWL)

Adam Zampa (Melbourne Renegades $131,900 BWL)

Spencer Johnson (Brisbane Heat $125,500 BWL)

Paul Walter (Brisbane Heat $105,000 BAT-BWL)

Tanveer Sangha (Sydney Thunder $83,800 BWL)

Peter Siddle (Melbourne Renegades $75,500 BWL)

Perth bowling pair Richardson and Behrendorff are in form and raring to go. The Dorff has bowled two maiden overs against India for Australia, and has been Kryptonite for the Indian batting attack, while Richardson appears to be over his injury troubles, for now, with 4 wickets and 10 maidens in the Sheffield Shield against Queensland.

Adam Zampa is going to do what he’s always done and was locked into my team early on, while Spencer Johnson and Paul Walter should play all three Brisbane Heat games in round one.

Tanveer Sangha is as cheap as he’s ever going to be, and you’d want him for the Sydney Thunder’s round 4 double so may as well grab him now and enjoy the cash rise in the meantime, while Peter Siddle is another who could benefit from Kane Richardson’s glute injury.

I haven’t quite settled on my VC/C for round one, and there’s still time to work that out, but I’ve given myself plenty of options.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng0ntu8ibPs

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December 5, 2023
SuperCoach BBL: Five batters to start your team with

Sometimes we all need a helping hand — even in KFC SuperCoach BBL.

So if you’re padding up for the first time in BBL13 or just unsure about who to start, this is the article for you.

We’ll list five players from each KFC SuperCoach BBL position — BAT, BWL, WKP-BAT and BAT-BWL — to help you lock in your round 1 side by the first ball on December 7.

To start with, it’s the batters.

The best advice we can give you is to target BAT-BWL players, rather than BAT only, for the seven BAT positions in your team.

They have more chances to score points, as long as they’re batting and bowling.

Some batters have huge ceilings, but the risk is if they miss out their SuperCoach score will be reliant on what they do in the field.

Nathan McSweeney (59.3 points, three games) Chris Lynn (54.2), Tim David (51.1) and Cameron Bancroft (51) had the best average of players listed as BAT only in BBL12.

For those risk takers who like a BAT only option, here are five to consider for round 1:

Colin Munro (Brisbane Heat) $156,100

Brisbane Heat has the first triple in SuperCoach BBL history in round 1, which mitigates some of the risk about picking batters. They might only need to fire twice in three games to make their break even and produce a triple-figure score. New Zealander Munro is one of the most experienced T20 batters in the world, having played more than 400 T20 matches and scored more than 10,000 runs. Munro only played eight matches last season but still scored 278 runs at a strike rate of better than 150. If you pick Munro, you won’t have any worries about job security and him not playing all three round 1 games either.

Nathan McSweeney (Brisbane Heat) $128,700

McSweeney had a strong impact in the five matches he played last season, scoring 84, 28, 6, 5 and 41 for a SuperCoach average of 59.3 across three rounds. The beauty for those considering him this year is he has been one of the form batters of the season so far with South Australia. He has 162 runs at an average of 54 in the Marsh Cup and 456 runs at 50.6 in the Shield. Some have even suggested he might crack the Test squad he’s going that well. He might be the best option on this list as he can bowl as well.

Josh Brown (Brisbane Heat) $88,600

One of the great stories of BBL12. Brown has gone from a Fifth XI player in grade cricket to a Brisbane Heat contract and showed his hitting prowess with 62 off 23 balls against Sydney Sixers last season. Some coaches were concerned about whether Brown would start the campaign in Brisbane’s best XI, but Matthew Renshaw being picked in the PM’s XI should ensure that’s not an issue. The 29-year-old is rated as one of the country’s cleanest hitters and is given a licence by Brisbane to launch in the power play. As he explained recently, it’s seen as a bonus if Brown is still in after the first four overs. Brown will be in the sights of many KFC SuperCoach teams due to Brisbane’s round 1 double which is understandable when he’s less than $90k and set to open the batting. If he gets away even once in that opening round, Brown will have justified starting him in SuperCoach. He’s had a few low scores for his club side Norths in recent months but is the type of player who could defy that form and blast off in BBL13. He needs to be considered.

Oliver Davies (Sydney Thunder) $117,100

Davies has scored 129, 67 and 62 in his last two Sheffield Shield matches, standing up for a NSW team which has been struggling. Not bad for a rising star who’s supposed to be more of a white-ball hitter. Starting Davies won’t be easy as it means you will need to carry him for three rounds before Sydney Thunder has the double in round 4. But it would certainly put you ahead of other coaches who will be looking to trade him in for that round. In his first nine rounds last season, Davies scored 65 SuperCoach points or more five times (including a season high of 125 in round 2). The 23-year-old is one of the most exciting batting talents in Australian cricket and has a strike rate of 138 in his short T20 career. You’ve got to like a player in form and there’s no question Davies fits that criteria. It’s just a matter of whether investing that $117k in him from round 1 will be worth it. If you’re prepared to take the plunge, you could have a great point-of-difference pick.

D’Arcy Short (Adelaide Strikers) $67,500

A two-time player of the tournament at rookie price seems too good to be true, especially with a round 2 double. Short is likely to bat in the top three for Adelaide after a frustrating end to his time in Hobart. His recent Marsh Cup form is a concern, making three ducks in five innings since late September. But surely the price tag and early double offsets the risk of picking a player who might not be in top form? Short features in almost 40 per cent of KFC SuperCoach teams and if he recaptures his form of past BBL campaigns, those coaches who start him are going to have a big advantage. He’s by no means a must-have like some of the players listed in this article but probably only needs one decent score in his first three matches to generate money. He’s lost BWL status after not bowling last season but could pick up the odd over in BBL13, especially once Rashid Khan leaves later in the tournament. The issue is he’s unlikely to still be in your SuperCoach team by that point. Chuck him on your BAT bench, play him in the round 2 double and then reassesses how long you hold him after that.

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November 21, 2023
Aussie World Cup workload issue laid bare

Australia’s delicate workload management plan for this World Cup was laid bare under the Lucknow lights on Tuesday night as none of the Aussies’ five frontline bowling options showed their faces in the nets.

While Marcus Stoinis reinforced his readiness to play by dashing quick singles and then bowling an imposing spell, none of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa or Glenn Maxwell were anywhere to be seen as Australia went through its paces less than 48 hours from a suddenly crunch match against South Africa.

The pacemen instead spent time in the stadium’s gym.

With Australia having chosen to include Marnus Labuschagne in its touring party at the expense of the injured Ashton Agar, the Aussies have limited options if they choose to rotate their bowlers given squads for the tournament are capped at 15.

Zampa and Cummins were both below their best in the defeat to India in Chennai on Sunday but the need to keep the bowlers fresh appears to be outweighing a desire to tinker with skills, specifically in dew-laden conditions in which the Aussies struggled against the hosts.

Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Zampa and Maxwell combined for 39.2 of the 41.2 overs bowled against India. Zampa had been dealing with soreness in the lead-up to the tournament, Maxwell is being nursed through the campaign as he deals with the lingering effects of a leg break from last year, while the three mainstay pacemen are all in their 30s and have extensive injury histories.

The team’s nine round robin matches fall within a five-week period.

While Australia has left the door ajar to field an XI including all three of seaming all-rounders Stoinis, Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh, the expectation from sources around the team is that Stoinis will return at the expense of Green, who made a limp eight and sent down two wicketless overs against India.

Green and Marsh joined Stoinis in bowling on Tuesday night, while spare quick Sean Abbott impressed with the white ball. Reserve spinner Tanveer Sangha, who is not part of the 15-man squad, also bowled.

But much of the work was done by local net bowlers and side-arm throwdowns from assistant coaches Michael Di Venuto, Andre Borovec and Daniel Vettori.

By contrast, Proteas pace quartet Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen all bowled in the nets on Tuesday afternoon, albeit they’d had an extra day’s recovery time since South Africa’s win over Sri Lanka in Delhi on Saturday.

Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, David Warner and the under-fire Alex Carey joined the all-rounders in batting.

Warner was seeing them well, almost too well, with one lusty blow coming dangerously close to the head of a team staffer, who fortunately emerged unscathed.

Australia is due to be in Lucknow for more than a week, with a match against the Proteas next Monday following the date with South Africa. It is the Aussies’ longest stint in the same city, and one which has the potential to make or break the side’s tilt for a sixth 50-over World Cup crown.

While the Aussies had a sloppy night in the field on Sunday – underscored by Marsh’s costly drop of Virat Kohli – Maxwell said on Tuesday that fielding was not a particular concern.

“We haven‘t sat down and chatted as a group but I’d say that mistakes will be made. I didn’t see too many, obviously the drop catch was one which can happen. I think the ball went straight up in the lights and sort of bracing for a bit of a collision (between Marsh and Carey) there as well,” Maxwell said.

“Those things can happen. And I suppose the good thing is two people went for it and they didn‘t just let it land in between them so that the want and the hunger is there so that’s a good sign for our group.

“I feel like we battled really hard in the field the other night and in trying conditions and in different conditions and the effort it was certainly there.”

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October 11, 2023
How controversial captain’s call could kill Aussie hopes

Australia’s World Cup destiny is likely to be shaped over its next three matches and the heat is rising on captain Pat Cummins to justify his place in the best XI.

Marcus Stoinis is set to push for a return from injury against South Africa on Thursday, possibly at the expense of fellow all-rounder Cameron Green.

But after Sunday’s emphatic opening match loss to India in Chennai, plenty are asking: how long Australia can persist with picking its three frontline quicks in subcontinental conditions?

With Mitchell Starc indispensable and Josh Hazlewood the No.2 ranked ODI bowler in the world behind India’s Mohammed Siraj, Cummins would appear the clear third seed in this format … except for the fact he’s skipper of the side.

Selectors could have mitigated this looming conundrum had they made Mitchell Marsh or Steve Smith World Cup captain, but when they made the captaincy call hastily last year following Aaron Finch’s retirement on the eve of the home T20 World Cup, Cummins’ undisputed strengths as a leader trumped all other factors.

And as it currently stands, Cummins deserved first crack.

With the glaring hole of not having a second frontline spinner in the squad, with Stoinis returning from a sore hamstring and Green hardly setting the world on fire with his form, it’s understandable why selectors have started the tournament with a proven champion, regardless what the format is.

But at some point in this World Cup, and possibly very soon, selectors will need to seriously debate whether Australia would achieve greater balance with an extra batting all-rounder or spinner in the XI instead of running with all three of the big quicks.

Certainly had spinner Ashton Agar not been withdrawn from the squad with injury on the eve of the tournament, he would have played the opening match in Chennai.

Whether that would have been in place of Green or Cummins – or Hazlewood as the unlucky fall guy – is the million dollar question.

If the fitness gamble on Travis Head is abandoned or if another injury in the squad opens the door for selectors to correct the current imbalance in the 15 and include a second frontline spinner, that’s when the selection debate will really catch fire.

Australia often talks about having a squad mentality and that the ODI leadership model is a lot more fluid than in Test match cricket: but would selectors be prepared to take that to the extreme of leaving the captain out of the best XI?

Speaking to this masthead before Australia even flew out for its pre-World Cup warm-up series in South Africa, Hazlewood said Cummins was the kind of selfless leader who, if circumstances required it, would sacrifice his place for the greater good of the team.

Not that Hazlewood thinks that will happen: he is adamant three quicks can win Australia the World Cup, just as it did when they proved all the doubters wrong to lift the T20 trophy in the UAE in 2020.

“When you’re trying to make up 20 or 25 overs with all-rounders then it can get away from you. A lot of the time the three quicks is our strongest team anyway,” Hazlewood said back in August before a ball was bowled.

“Apart from (Chennai), everywhere else, the bounce isn’t too bad in Bangalore, Mumbai and up north. Conditions change so much. It’s definitely not all spin. It’s a lot different to the Test matches.

“… (But) I think if it’s clear cut and Starcy and I are bowling the house down and Pat’s not quite up to his 100 per cent, then I’m sure he’ll be happy to see the writing on the wall a bit and put himself out of the team and Smith or Marsh can take the lead for one game here or there if conditions don’t quite suit (three quicks).

“At the same time, Pat could be bowling the house down and Mitch and I might not be bowling well.

“T20 and one-day cricket is a bit of a different beast and … I don’t think the captaincy automatically selects you in the team. Whereas in the Test team he’s probably well above (Starc and I) in regards to his record and how he bowls and he’s phenomenal in the Test arena.”

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October 11, 2023
Warner howler derails Aussie fightback in India

Australia’s ODI team will look to spoil the party in Chennai as they take on hosts India to kick off their ODI World Cup campaign.

The Aussies have battled some mediocre form in the lead-up to the tournament, with uncertainty surrounding their entire line-up.

India come into the tournament as favourites, with Australia looking to possibly exact some revenge after their loss in the Border-Gavaskar series earlier this year.

The action all kicks off at 7.30pm AEDT.

FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION BELOW

8:55PM: WARNER’S PATIENCE RUNS OUT

After playing with such ease against the left-arm spinner Yadav, David Warner decided enough was enough and paid the price.

A fuller ball that Warner could not get under goes right back to the bowler who takes a simple catch, bringing Marnus Labuschagne to the crease.

That also means Australia will have two right-handers out there, which we expect Ravi Jadeja to jump all over, with the superstar not having bowled yet in this game.

After getting himself in on this pitch, Warner will be shattered with his dismissal on 41.

Still, a solid partnership has given Australia a decent start after the early wicket of Mitch Marsh.

8:45PM: EXPERIENCE COMES TO THE FORE

These two are loving the conditions now, the ball is a bit older but is still firm, as Smith and Warner create a platform not only for them, but for the entire team to launch off.

The two have both tracked into the 30s, working the Indian spinners over, working singles with ease and putting away some bad balls.

The run rate right now is at 4.71, so we may see a flat period in the time straight after the powerplay, as India scatter their field to the fence.

Mitch Marsh will be filthy he missed out on a deck like this one.

8:25PM: SMITH AND WARNER SETTLE THE SHIP

Australia’s two experienced legends have formed a good partnership since Mitch Marsh departed, easing the pressure to start this contest.

Smith has played some cracking shots through cover and mid-wicket, while Warner sent Panyda for six over fine leg.

The two have been experts in keeping the strike turning over, not allowing Ashwin to settle in on one batsman.

Ashwin has been able to get some uneven bounce out of the surface, which has done a bit thanks to the dryness of the wicket.

8:10PM: SHORT-FORM (nice) STAR SENT HOME

Matt Short has headed back to Australia after hanging with the team as a travelling reserve during the warm-up games. But leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha will remain in India for the time being given Australia does not have a spare frontline spinner in its 15-man squad.

7:45PM: HOST NATION ROARS AS BUMRAH STRIKES

Jasprit Bumrah is hard to get a gold of, and Mitch Marsh falls for a duck to start his campaign, after a beauty.

That ball was slightly back of a length and Marsh pushed at it outside his off-stump, finding a thick edge which Virat Kohli secured brilliantly at first slip.

The home team have gotten one of the most dangerous wickets in world cricket early and the crowd is roaring.

Steve Smith will come to the crease, with Australia already in a little but of danger, with Bumrah up and firing.

The hosts may have been aided by a new ally in the team, with the notorious pitch invader known as “Jarvo” spotted on the field dressed in Indian team gear for the anthems but was escorted off.

7:40PM: EARLY MOVEMENT FOR BUMRAH, AUSSIES OFF AND RUNNING

The first ball of the game and David Warner flashes in that cover region as he tends to do and is beaten by Bumrah, that ball did move through the air after it hit the deck.

A similar delivery and attack second up, and Marsh scampers through, putting the Aussies on the board.

A tidy over from the Indian quick and Australia are off and running at the World Cup.

First ball from Mohammed Siraj, and it’s absolutely crushed by David Warner to the off-side for four, Siraj gave it some width in the hope it would swing and that ball did nothing.

Rohit Sharma did not like that at all, quickly moving his mid-wicket fielder to cover, cutting off that area for Warner who loves the off-side.

After that tough start, Siraj has gotten his line and length spot on mostly, forcing Warner to play close to the body, with the last ball rolling to the keeper behind the stumps.

7:10PM: AUSTRALIA WINS TOSS, ELECT TO BAT

“Looks like a good afternoon to bat,” says the Aussie skipper Pat Cummins after winning the toss, with concerns with a potentially spinning deck later now irrelevant for the Aussie batsmen.

Indian superstar Shubman Gill will miss the clash, another break for the Aussies.

Mitch Marsh and David Warner will open proceedings for Australia, with seven of the last 10 teams to bat first in Chennai claiming victory.

Aussie Test teammate Usman Khawaja believes the two openers are primed to start hot to quell the likes of Bumrah and Siraj.

6:40PM: CAN AUSSIE TEST SIDE HANDLE INDIA’S STAR-STUDDED TEAM?

Marcus Stoinis looks set to miss the opener in Chennai, meaning Australia look set to field a team very akin to their regular Test team.

Stoinis is still recovering from a hamstring injury, and looks poised to feature later on in this tournament.

Indian superstar Shubham Gill does not seem likely to play, with expectations that the Indians could pick three spinners, Australia have only taken one specialist spinner into the tournament, with Aussie legend Mark Waugh voicing his concerns about the issue.

“You can’t rely on Maxwell, he’s serviceable, but you can’t rely on him,” Waugh said.

The covers were taken off the pitch in Chennai quite early, allowing the wicket to bake in the roasting sun, according to Fox Sport’s Harsha Bhogle.

The GOAT puts up hand for shock World Cup call-up

– Ben Horne

Nathan Lyon has already contacted selectors to declare himself ready, willing and able to become the frontline finger spinner Australia is missing at this World Cup.

Thirteen weeks after hobbling off Lord’s with a blown calf, Australia’s greatest ever off-spinner is back and set to make his return to cricket this weekend.

The timing is intriguing for an Australian side that begins its World Cup campaign on Sunday night against India in Chennai with the gaping hole of having Adam Zampa as the only frontline spinner in its 15-man squad for a tournament in the home of spin bowling.

World Cup teams can only make squad changes in the event of injury, but if another Australian player goes down over the next six weeks, then selectors would be expected to try and add another spinner to the mix after Ashton Agar was forced to withdraw on the eve of the tournament.

Lyon wants to be that man.

“Yeah, 100 per cent. I sent (coach) Andrew McDonald a text message the other day when I saw Ashton Agar was ruled out,” Lyon said on Sunday at a kids’ clinic at Easts’ Cricket Club.

“I said, ‘Just to let you know, I’m back bowling 10 overs – I’m right to go, 100 per cent.

“If that happened (a place opened up in the squad), I’d do anything to go over and play the World Cup.

“I think the squad they’ve got there looks pretty exciting and it’s been pretty amazing the start of the World Cup.”

Lyon will go from Lord’s to Asquith Oval when he returns in a grade match for Northern Districts on Saturday, before playing a one-dayer for NSW against South Australia in Adelaide on October 20, followed by a Sheffield Shield clash against Victoria in Melbourne.

Meanwhile, the Australian squad in Chennai is currently trying to nurse Marcus Stoinis back to full health, with the all-rounder having missed the past four World Cup warm-up matches with a sore hamstring.

Australia erred in the 2019 World Cup not getting a replacement player in earlier for Stoinis when he struggled for fitness for much of the tournament.

Selectors are expecting Stoinis to get himself right sooner on this occasion, but with Australia already carrying an injured Travis Head (broken hand) through the first half of the tournament, they can ill afford another unfit player and having only 13 players to choose from.

Given Head’s delayed entry to the tournament, selectors elected to pick batsman Marnus Labuschagne as Agar’s replacement in the 15-man squad – but it leaves spin bowling as the obvious position where Australia lacks depth.

Australia has already said Agar could come back into calculations to re-enter the squad if another squad member goes down, but Lyon’s experience would also be difficult to ignore given the unique pressures of a World Cup.

“I’d like to think (my experience would help). I’d be more than comfortable going in there and doing it if I had to,” Lyon said.

“But, in saying that, there has to be a lot of things go wrong, so let’s hope for Australia’s sake that doesn’t happen. Hopefully, they go out there and have a really good campaign and make sure they go over there to achieve what they’ve gone over there to do.”

Lyon said his calf injury had made him reassess his career goals, and he says he is even more determined to make it to the next Test tour of India in 2025 and the next Ashes tour of England in 2027, when he would be 39 years of age.

“100 per cent. I’ve always wanted to win in India, win in England. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that in either (this year) so it’s made me reset and reassess where I’m at and where I want to get to … and look pretty brightly about the future,” Lyon said.

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October 8, 2023
Marnus deploys last-ditch bid for World Cup selection

Marnus Labuschagne has unleashed his part-time leg-spin in a bid to secure a spot in Australia’s team for its World Cup opener against India.

Labuschagne was an 11th-hour addition to the Aussies’ 15-man squad last week after Ashton Agar was withdrawn with a calf injury.

While Labuschagne’s threat primarily comes with the bat – particularly in the absence of the injured Travis Head for the early part of the tournament – he is also putting his hand up to bowl, providing an additional option for Australian skipper Pat Cummins.

Labuschagne had an extended bowl in the nets on Monday in Hyderabad and rolled the arm over in the middle before Australia’s final World Cup warm-up match against Pakistan on Tuesday night (Australian time).

While Labuschagne picked up regular wickets early in his Test career, he has been used sparingly with the ball during Cummins’ Test captaincy.

While Labuschagne has also tried medium-pace and off-spin over the past couple of years, he has been focusing again on his leg-spin, which could be especially handy given Agar is out of the tournament and Head’s part-time offies will be unavailable through the early stages of the tournament.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa and off-spinner Glenn Maxwell are Australia’s primary tweakers in their likely XI for the date with the hosts in Chennai.

Cummins won the toss against Pakistan, choosing to bat. The Aussies indicated they were planning on using more than XI players in the warm-up game, although the fact all-rounder Marcus Stoinis was listed among the reserves raised eyebrows given he has been used sparingly through Australia’s lead-up matches in India.

Pakistan did not list star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan on its team sheet while Shadab Khan filled in as captain.

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October 3, 2023
Watch out Windies: Aussies step up World Cup preparation

Ellyse Perry says the Australian women’s cricket team can go to another level ahead of their first home series of the summer against the West Indies.

Despite returning with the Ashes, Australia lost both white-ball formats in their recent tour of England and drew the series 8-8.

With the next World Cup already under a year away, Perry knows that the team can’t afford to waste any opportunity to get back to their best form.

“We’d like to hit the ground running,” Perry said.

“There’s a great opportunity for us to evolve some of the style of our play. Perhaps it’s not even visible from the outside looking in, but I think it’s some of the processes in terms of how we’re going to approach our white-ball cricket.

“It’s small changes, but when you add them up, they’re hopefully quite meaningful.”

Perry’s off-season has looked quite different after taking time to recover from a knee injury she suffered during the white-ball series in Ireland.

It meant she was ruled out of The Hundred, and the 32-year-old has played only one WNCL match for Victoria before the first T20 at North Sydney Oval.

As a result, Perry may not be used as a bowler for the entire series against the West Indies.

“I think in terms of my full fitness, bowling is probably something that I still work through this series,” she said.

“It was probably a priority to get back on the field and be available as a batter and then the bowling will progress. But it’s been tracking well.”

While injuries have interrupted Perry’s career recently, she still has as much love for the game as she has had since day one.

Her form over the past two years is as good as it has ever been, and that passion for the sport is what’s driving her to improve.

“I think I just really love it and I’m open to the challenge of improving,” Perry said. “I think that’s what gives me the most enjoyment out of playing the game.

“It’s easy to maintain a level of enjoyment because it’s constantly different. The (Commonwealth) Games, for example, potentially an Olympics on the horizon for cricket as well.”

The West Indies are aiming to become one of the next teams to signal their intent in women’s cricket as they enter a new era on Sunday.

The series will be the first for new coach Shane Deitz, who says he has analysed Australia’s performance in the Ashes to locate any potential weaknesses.

“We looked at that series and found a few areas we can probably try to target,” Deitz said. “But we’re focusing on what we’re trying to do at the moment.

“I still think (Australia is) the marker we want to get to and compare ourselves to.”

Deitz has promised to bring back the flair to West Indies cricket, and Perry knows from experience that the Aussies will have to be at their best as the quality of the women’s game continues to advance.

“The unknown is the exciting thing,” Perry said. “The fact we haven’t come across a lot of players actually makes it a bit of a threat to us … (the West Indies) are always a challenge on any given day.

“I think it’s really important for global cricket going forward that every team is on equal footing. You look at signs like Pakistan beating India, South Africa’s success against New Zealand, Sri Lanka having some wins against England, there’s good development going on in the game.

“I think we’re going to have to play really well to be successful in this series, but I think it’s a really great starting point for us as well this summer.”

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September 29, 2023
‘He’s really important to us’: Aussies sweat on Head’s return

Australian selection chair George Bailey has refused to put a public deadline on a return date for Travis Head while leaving the door ajar for Ashton Agar to come back into the World Cup squad should another player suffer an injury.

Bailey has meanwhile suggested the Aussies may look to protect Glenn Maxwell in the field during the tournament, mindful of his dual importance to the side as a game-changing middle order batter and “frontline” spin option.

Cricket Australia on Thursday confirmed the 11th hour call to omit Agar from its 15-man squad for the World Cup in India – which begins next week – with the left-arm spinner making way for Marnus Labuschagne.

Both Agar (calf) and Head (broken hand) would have been unable for the start of the event with selectors prioritising Head after being unwilling to take two injured players into the tournament.

The South Australian opener remains in Adelaide rehabilitating after suffering the injury during the recent series against South Africa.

Selectors are banking on Head becoming available at around the midway point of the seven-week tournament but Bailey was unwilling to specify a particular game or date by which the left-hander would need to be available before plans for him to return would be abandoned.

“We are aware of the risks that if there is a setback at some point it makes it really challenging for Trav, but he’s a really important player for us,” Bailey said from India on Friday.

“First and foremost it’s about him recovering and that’s the hurdle that he’s got to overcome. He’s got a broken bone. So there’s not a specific date or a game.

“I don’t think we’ve put a time frame on it from that point of view

“When he does come online whenever that is and he’s available, he can he can have a really important impact for us towards the end of the tour.”

Bailey said the decision to leave Agar out had come late, and acknowledged the disappointment of the white-ball specialist, who also departed early from a Test tour of India in February.

“We wanted as much information as we could on Ash and the rest of the squad, just weighing up the risk, clearly we’ve prioritised retaining Travis with his injury and hoping that he comes online, unfortunately for Ash we couldn’t see a way through where we could carry two players with injuries so he was the unfortunate one to miss out,” Bailey said.

“Hopefully he can put together a really good rehab now, over a number of weeks. If there is an opportunity through unfortunately someone else getting injured later in the piece, there’s a chance he could re-emerge there.”

Having overcome a leg injury that forced him home early from South Africa, Maxwell returned in Wednesday night’s third one-day international against India in Rajkot, taking 4-40 as the Aussies snapped a five-match losing run.

Maxwell broke his leg in a freak accident late last year and has played little international cricket since, with Bailey acknowledging that Australia would need to manage his workload.

“Glenn’s been so dynamic across his one-day career, not only, his ability with the bat and ball, but even just the positions he puts himself in the field. So there’s been a high workload,” Bailey said.

“He doesn’t necessarily have to go to the hotspots or he might have some games where we can try and find some quiet spots for him in the field.”

But Bailey was adamant that the Victorian, who averages 47.71 with the ball in ODIs, was capable of playing the No. 2 spinner role behind Adam Zampa after Agar’s removal left the Aussies’ tweaker stocks depleted.

“I’m not sure it’s fair on Maxi to say he’s not a specialist spinner. I think his white-ball one-day and T20 spinning record is pretty handy. And I think we can very much consider him a frontline option. So we consider that we’ve got two frontline spinners within our first-choice XI.”

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September 29, 2023
World Cup: Selectors to gamble with Head

Travis Head will survive in Australia’s World Cup squad, with his potential to emerge as a tournament-winner outweighing the risk of carrying an injured player through the early matches in India.

While Ashton Agar has failed to recover from a calf injury and is set to be ruled out of Australia’s World Cup campaign, it’s understood Head is being backed in by selectors.

The big question is what does that mean for Marnus Labuschagne?

Does Head’s inclusion cost Australia’s leading run-scorer his place, or do selectors find another way of squeezing in Labuschagne to their final 15-man squad to be finalised today (Thursday).

Head suffered a broken hand a couple of weeks ago in South Africa and originally appeared long odds to make it to the World Cup.

However, the injury didn’t require surgery and has improved over the past week and the South Australian star is on track to return midway through the Cup.

It’s always a major risk to go into a World Cup with only 14 available players, but selectors believe Head warrants the rare show of faith.

Head is a dynamic game-breaker and in what shapes as a high-scoring World Cup, Australia needs his explosive power at the top of the innings.

Adding Head to the mix alongside the in-form David Warner and Mitchell Marsh could give the Australians the edge they need to challenge the big guns like India and England.

Head starred opening the batting in the Test series in India earlier this year and will partner Warner upon his return – a move which would push Mitchell Marsh down to No.3 and Steve Smith to No.4.

Australia just needs to make sure they don’t drop more than a game while Head is on the sidelines, otherwise it might be too late for him to make an impact when he is given a clean bill of health.

Tanveer Sangha looms as a possible replacement for Agar, unless selectors feel uneasy about picking two leg-spinners in the same squad – given the presence of Adam Zampa as the No.1 slow bowler.

Matthew Kuhnemann from Queensland would be the logical like-for-like for Agar if selectors wanted a finger spinner, but he hasn’t been part of Australia’s preparations at all – whereas Sangha has.

The other option would be to replace Agar with part-time finger spinner Matthew Short or batsman Labuschagne – but it would seem for a World Cup in India, Australia would need a second specialist spinner.

Sangha bowled well in Australia’s win over India on Wednesday night and has put himself in the frame.

It is a blow for Australia to lose Agar who has been an extremely consistent performer for Australia in white ball cricket over the past few years.

Agar is also a more than handy batsman and fielder and provides the finger spin alternative to Zampa’s leggies.

The West Australian returned home from South Africa for the birth of his first child but has been battling with a calf injury that has not improved.

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September 28, 2023
Young tweaker’s chance to bolt into World Cup squad

Cricket Australia is on Thursday set to name its final 15-man squad for next month’s tournament, with destructive opener Travis Head a strong chance to hold his position as he recovers from the broken hand that will rule him out for at least the early stages of the event.

That would mean Marnus Labuschagne misses out despite impressive performances during the recent one-day series against South Africa.

However Head is not Australia’s only injury worry, with left-arm tweaker Ashton Agar under a cloud following recent calf troubles.

Agar flew home from South Africa to attend the birth of his child and was due to return ahead of the World Cup, which begins next week.

But concerns over his body mean Sangha – who made his one-day international debut earlier this month against the Proteas – remains a chance to feature in the World Cup.

Sangha is set to play the third and final ODI against India in Rajkot on Wednesday night (Australian time), which is Australia’s final one-dayer before the deadline to finalise its squad.

Agar had been named ahead of Sangha in the provisional 15-man squad.

Even if Head is named, Australia would still be able to withdraw him mid-tournament under injury rules.

While Labuschagne is one option to replace Head, so too is Victorian all-rounder Matt Short, whose skillset is more like that of Head and Glenn Maxwell, who will also enter the tournament on the back of limited preparation after missing most of the South Africa and India tours through a combination of injury and to be home for the birth of his first child.

With Adam Zampa and Agar having been Australia’s primary white-ball spinners for several years, Sangha, 21, leads the next wave ahead of left-armer Matt Kuhnemann, who does however remain in the frame after playing recently for Australia A against New Zealand A, and Todd Murphy, both of whom made their Test debuts this year.

While Mitchell Starc is poised to return from his groin issue, injuries to backup seamers Spencer Johnson (hamstring) and Nathan Ellis (groin) have damaged Australia’s pace reserves should any of the frontline quicks fall over during the seven-week tournament.

The Aussies enter the third ODI on the back of a five-match losing streak but still have official warm-up matches against Netherlands and Pakistan before their tournament proper begins on October 8.

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September 27, 2023