Drop Pat or Mitch … it may be Australia’s best hope

In a tournament where slow conditions will make it difficult for Australia to justify playing more than two specialist quicks, Starc and all-format superstar Pat Cummins appeared to have a mortgage on spearheading the attack.

But Hazlewood’s trademark consistency has helped steer his Chennai Super Kings to the IPL title, including a strangling 2-29 effort to cause a major selection headache for George Bailey and Justin Langer on the eve of the tournament.

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With two specialist spinners almost a non-negotiable for Australia, squeezing in their most in-form bowler Hazlewood would mean either dropping a batter or all-rounder from the line-up, or axing one of Starc or Cummins.

Australia’s sorry history in Twenty20 cricket is reflected in the fact Starc (No. 12) and Glenn Maxwell (No. 7) are their only players featured in CricViz’s top 20 power rankings – a list which features five West Indians.

But Hazlewood, mysteriously brushed from the 2019 ODI World Cup, is suddenly putting serious heat on the golden duo of Starc and Cummins, neither of whom have played any cricket for at least two months.

“Hazlewood is the one who has thrown his hand in the mix now to get a game,” said Fox Cricket expert Adam Gilchrist.

“How they fit him in there and who they leave out is going to be interesting to see which way they go, because it seems like the spinners need to be of paramount importance too.”

Along with Hazlewood, Maxwell is Australia’s only other battle-hardened and in-form World Cup ace – fresh from arguably the best batting performance of the IPL.

Maxwell is pivotal for Australia, but Gilchrist says it’s important he isn’t expected to carry the hopes of the side.

“He’s got a huge role to play. Whenever Glenn Maxwell delivers it’s typically in a successful team pursuit,” said Gilchrist.

“He’s such an exciting player that when he does well it’s usually in a manner that totally demoralises the opposition and takes the game away from them. But what we’ve all learnt too with a player of that type, you’re going to have some days where he misses out.

“I hope we don’t overburden him with expectation. I don’t think it’s a case of if he fails Australia is out. There’s plenty of good batting talent around him.”

Australia’s other world rankings leader Starc is the king of white ball cricket and it’s almost impossible to imagine him being left out of a T20 World Cup attack given his brilliant record in big tournaments.

The fact Starc is ranked at 12 in the world by CricViz outlines his class, because as someone who has sat out the past two IPL’s, he plays a lot less Twenty20 cricket than every other player on the list.

Starc will be under pressure come the Test summer, after Australia’s bowling attack failed to close out last summer’s series against India – but Gilchrist sees the World Cup as a springboard for the left-armer to get his confidence levels peaking for the Ashes.

“ … When he’s off it can look horrible. But he’s irrepressible when he’s on. And for the bulk of his career he’s on more than he’s off,” said Gilchrist.

“He showed some really good glimpses of being back to that confident rhythmical bowler in the West Indies (in July and August).

“I think the only pressure (ahead of Ashes) will only come from himself really. If he can come out of the World Cup with some confidence that will help him settle into the Gabba Test better. I would expect that same bowling line up will be selected for the first Test. And then after that, it’s how it plays out.”

GILCHRIST’S HUGE PRAISE FOR NEW AUSSIE GLOVEMAN

Test great Adam Gilchrist has declared World Cup bolter Josh Inglis has also entered the frame to be Australia’s next Test wicketkeeper.

Gilchrist still has Alex Carey as the current favourite to succeed Tim Paine behind the stumps, ahead of the captain’s anticipated retirement at the end of the Ashes summer.

But the rise of Yorkshire-born Inglis to the verge of an international debut at the Twenty20 World Cup starting next week, also announces him as a genuine challenger to Carey’s status as next cab off the rank for Australia in Test cricket.

Inglis is regarded by some experts as Australian cricket’s next best out-and-out gloveman after Paine, although Carey brings to the table a wealth of international experience, leadership traits and superior batting numbers at this stage of his career.

Australian T20 captain Aaron Finch has already confirmed the veteran Matthew Wade will get first crack as Australia’s keeper at the World Cup, but Inglis remains firmly in the mix to be blooded at some stage in the tournament, even alongside Wade as a specialist middle-order finisher.

Gilchrist, the world’s greatest ever wicketkeeper batsman said Australia has excellent depth behind the stumps and believes Inglis’ is a real player to watch this summer in all formats as Paine approaches the end.

“I think if it was being picked tomorrow for the first Test at the Gabba and for some reason Tim wasn’t there, I think Carey would get the start,” said Gilchrist, Fox Cricket’s leading expert.

“But Inglis has definitely got to be in the conversation and I think he’d be aware of that and Alex Carey would be aware of that.

“Matt Wade could come back into the equation possibly if it was a short term replacement, and even a guy like Jimmy Peirson … I’d have confidence he’d do a very decent job at that level just through his experience now of playing so much first class cricket.

“We’re really stocked in that position. I’m really loathed to create some sort of rivalry between Inglis and Carey and everyone watches that and puts pressure on each of them to try and prove their worth.

“They’re both smart guys and balanced guys, they’ll just keep going about their business and when the opportunity comes, which is a bit of an unknown, selectors will have a couple of very decent options to pick from.”

Gilchrist said one of the biggest factors going for Inglis, 26, is his utility value as a wicketkeeper who can also bat anywhere from 1-7.

Australian selector George Bailey said Inglis has been called up out of Big Bash and The Hundred domestic cricket to the World Cup because of his proven record as a T20 finisher – an area the national team has not mastered since James Faulkner’s golden period in the 50-over team.

“He has been just so impressive in his gradual development over the last two to three seasons. He’s proving now to be almost like your football utility, which is a pretty good position to be in for him to get that opportunity to be in a touring squad and a good player type for Australia to have,” said Gilchrist.

Originally published as T20 World Cup 2021: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc under pressure from Josh Hazlewood