ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Australia’s Middle Order Will Be Formidable

Australia on Thursday became the first team to announce its T20 World Cup squad. The defending world champions have named a 15-member squad for the mega event set to be hosted in Australia.

The Aaron Finch-led side has only made one change from their title-winning campaign last year. Singapore-born Tim David gets his maiden call-up with leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson dropped from the squad. 

David has played 14 T20I matches for the Singapore national team, but under ICC rules, he is eligible to play for Australia immediately.

David has played in the world’s top T20 franchise leagues – Mumbai Indians in IPL, Hobart Hurricanes in BBL and Lancashire in T20 Blast. The 26-year-old has amassed 2640 runs in 115 T20 innings at a strike rate of 164.17. 

Tim David can hit the ball as clean and as hard as anyone in the world: Ricky Ponting

Australia’s most successful captain Ricky Ponting said David’s inclusion will bolster the middle-order of the Australian batting order. 

“If you ended up with, let’s say, Maxwell, Stoinis, Wade and David in that middle order there is a really formidable late-order striking team that no bowling team would want to play against,” Ponting said in the latest episode of ICC. 

“He’s (Tim David) probably 6’2, maybe touching 100 kilograms a big, strong guy that can hit the ball as clean and as hard as anyone in the world. He’s a good fielder and can bowl some part-time off-spin as well, if required,” Ponting added.

Steve Smith has been used in middle to pick up the pieces: Ricky Ponting

David’s inclusion in the Australian side is likely to hamper senior batter Steve Smith’s position in the side. With Mitchell Marsh’s revelation at No.3 in T20Is, Smith has often played as a floater in Australia’s batting lineup. Ponting believes that Smith’s role is to stabilise the innings in case of early collapse.

“They like to attack in a number three position (Mitch Marsh) and then if that doesn’t work, then that’s where Smith has been used in the middle to pick up the pieces after a couple of early wickets,” said Ponting.

“It’s not an easy role to play. I think in the modern T20 game, no one wants to be playing that role, because it becomes the most difficult role in the game. If you’re two down early, especially in the Powerplay, we know what the stats say; if you then lose three wickets in the Powerplay you lose about 94-95% of games. So the No.4 slot becomes the difficult one,” Ponting explained.

Australia are paired with England, New Zealand, Afghanistan and two more teams in Group 1 of the T20 World Cup 2022.

Australia T20 World Cup squad: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Tim David, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar, Josh Inglis, Kane Richardson.

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Australia Squad For The Tournament Announced, Mitchell Swepson Dropped