Featuring
Aaron Finch (C), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
Head coach: Justin Langer
Strengths
In a time when teams are easily posting 300-plus scores in ODIs, Australia’s key to outplay the oppositions will be their pace-dominated bowling attack. It was their pace battery which contributed to their title win run in 2015 with Mitchell Starc finishing as the joint-highest wicket-taker. Pat Cummins is a far better bowler than four years ago with the red ball. Coulter-Nile also looks in fine form with 10 wickets in five matches against Pakistan and India. Add the attacking leg-spinner Adam Zampa into the mix. They go into the tournament with a strong bowling attack.
Weaknesses
The biggest conundrum is how they will fit in Usman Khawaja, David Warner and Aaron Finch. In the three games against New Zealand XI last week, they tried two different opening pairs. Going by Finch’s words, the Warner-Khawaja opening pair looks unlikely since the team wanted a left-right combination. It has to be seen if Khawaja can be effective at No 3 as he averages 24.33 compared to 53.63 as an opener.
Banking on
Mitchell Starc
He may be coming back after injury but teams will be wary of his threat. His surge of pace on return — took three wickets in two games versus NZ XI — has upped Australia’s hopes.
Steve Smith
Back in the side after a year, he hit 202 against NZ XI. The team will be hopeful the back-to-back 50+ scores are a sign of things to come from the ex-skipper.