AGENCIES

With the ICC Test Championship and the ODI World Cup already in the bag, Australia begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Oman at the Kensington Oval in Barbados today in their quest to become champions in all three formats.

The 2021-winners have brought an uber-experienced squad for their title charge and one will not be surprised if it’s Mitchell Marsh’s men dancing in ticker-tape after the final in Barbados, with history made as the first nation to hold all three of cricket’s top global trophies.

Australia boast world-class players from top-to-tail and a champion outfit’s conviction that no matter how bad things get, someone among them will carry the day.

Plenty of old hands remain, though, with 37-year-old opener David Warner to soak up his final farewell from international cricket and the usual pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood reporting for duty.

Most of the players in the squad are over 30 and some will be managed carefully by staff, especially against a relatively feeble Oman who began their campaign with a Super Over defeat.

A few of Australia’s key players whose teams progressed into the playoff of the IPL arrived late as they were allowed to return home for a few days.

Either Mitchell Starc or Pat Cummins is expected to be rested and the Aussies might look to go with the spin option of Ashton Agar instead. Marcus Stoinis and Cameroon Green will fight it out for place in the eleven because of their ability to bowl compounded with Marsh’s fitness restrictions which will not allow him to contribute with the ball.

Despite the significant mismatch, Oman skipper Aqib Ilyas, buoyed by their opening game, assured that his side will not to be overwhelmed by stars in Australia’s ranks and even pointed out a key weakness against spin he thought his opponent had.

“With the Australian team, they used to have a few players with good techniques in the past like Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. But I don’t think they have many now. They look to hit big. They only try to go for sixes,” Ilyas told reporters.

“But every day is not the same day, and if we get the same wicket (as the one against Namibia) maybe it could be a problem for them.

“Just like the way you saw how difficult it was for the West Indies against PNG. They struggled to chase 130-odd despite them having some of the biggest hitters in the side.

Spin is indeed expected to play a part at the venue as spinners have an economy rate of 7.75 in contrast to the 8.12 runs an over pacers have conceded there.