Australia will head into the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup with an eye on writing a new chapter in cricket history by becoming the only men's team to hold the ICC Test Championship title, the senior World Cup trophy 50 years old and the T20 crown.
And they have a lot of experience in their ranks to reach the top.
After a failed T20 World Cup campaign at home in 2022, their new Twenty20 (T20) international captain Mitchell Marsh will be eager to make amends in the United States and the West Indies.
Marsh's limited leadership experience [of eight games] in T20Is will not hinder the world champions' push into the record books, according to former women's team captain Lisa Sthalekar.
“He [Marsh] He has been in Australian cricket for a long time and has consolidated his position,” Sthalekar told Al Jazeera.
“He has led [the Australian domestic T20 team] Perth Scorchers and although the T20 World Cup will be a different experience, I am sure he is ready and raring to go.”
Marsh's rise to the helm of Australia's T20 has coincided with his international resurgence in recent years. The 32-year-old was the player of the final when Australia won its first T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2021.
Sthalekar, a former prolific all-rounder with proper Test matches, 125 one-day internationals, 54 T20Is to her name, believes her compatriots will come into the tournament with a “good core group” of experienced players and Marsh will use that to her strength. .
“Everyone knows each other's roles and responsibilities,” Sthalekar said.
“They've played so much cricket with each other that I don't think they even need to communicate half the time. “They just look at each other and everything seems to fit together very well for them.”
'All bases covered'
Australia's team is packed with explosive T20 batsmen including David Warner, Travis Head, Tim David and Glenn Maxwell.
Experienced pacers Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will have the ability to bowl out opposition batsmen and their wily Adam Zampa could get plenty of support on the Caribbean pitches in the latter stages of the tournament.
Steve Smith's notable omission could leave the middle-order batting and spin bowling department understaffed, but Sthalekar believes it is “indicative of where the T20 format is heading and the brand of cricket Australia wants to play”.
Sthalekar believes Australia has all the bases covered except the left-arm wrist spin.
“Zampa's numbers have been outstanding and although [all-rounder] “Maxwell’s batting form has not been the best in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has been quite effective with the ball.”
Australia last played in the Caribbean three years ago, but this may not end up having any impact on their preparations for the tournament as they waste no time acclimatising to local conditions.
It may all come down to his team's experience playing all over the world, which was underlined by their triumph in the World Test Championship final in London in June and the 50-over World Cup final against the favorite and host India in Ahmedabad in November.
Whatever the conditions, Sthalekar expects Australia to adapt quickly.
“We don't know what the pitches will do until we get there, but those who played in the IPL went around different pitches and had to keep adapting. “This generation of cricketers has learned to adapt to busy schedules.”
And they adapted.
Australia came to the Caribbean in batches, with IPL-linked players arriving last.
In a demonstration of their strength and experience, the five-time over-50 champions recorded a seven-wicket victory over Namibia in their pre-tournament warm-up match with only nine members of the team taking the field.
Members of his backroom staff and the national selector had to make up the numbers as Australia lined up and bowled out Namibia for 119. The 2021 champions then chased down the target with 10 overs to spare.
With the women's 50-over and T20 world titles also within reach, Australia will end their reign over cricket if they lift the men's T20 World Cup on June 29 in Barbados.
Sthalekar's three Australian players to watch:
Adam Zampa: The bespectacled player could play a key role in the mid-overs, and Sthalekar believes he will have a “great tournament” in which he will “do some wonders”.
David Warner: The fiery opening batsman will put an end to all international cricket after the tournament and Sthalekar believes he would like to “go out with a bang”.
The batsman suffered an injury in the IPL and missed a few matches and while Sthalekar believes it may be difficult to perform immediately after returning to the team, Warner cannot be ruled out because “he has a way of making people look silly.”
Pat Cummins: Responsible for masterminding Australia's prolific form over the past year, Cummins is a man Sthalekar expects to play a major role with both bat and ball.
“Given his form, performance and the fact that he is not the captain, it will be good for him to go out and play,” he said.
