TOPIC:

Australian squad for the T20 world cup 2024
Mitch Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

No real surprises. if anyone has been following the IPL you would be aware that Head, Stoinis and Cummins are doing well, Mitch Marsh and Warner are injured,.Green and David are playing regularly but not setting the world on fire, Maxwell and Starc have had very ordinary tournaments and Ellis and Wade are not playing much for their teams.

I suppose the major talking point is the non selection of Fraser- Mcgurk who is lighting up the IPL at the moment. The fact that he bats in the top order and that Warner, Head and Marsh are more or less established as the top 3 counted against him. The other omission is that of Steve Smith whose skills have been pretty much superseded by the way the T20 game is going. The IPL this year has been a complete 6 fest and teams have regularly scored over 200 and up towards 300 in some cases. It is actually a bit boring because apart from a few games there is no genuine contest between bat and ball.

Teams will be stacking their batting line ups with power hitters and there is no place for anyone who doesnt bat with a strike rate of at least 150.

What a boring and unimaginative side for the upcoming T20 WC. Stoinis is currently batting 3, and won't bat that high if plays in the WC.

Warner can't even get an IPL game because of Fraser-McGurk, yet the latter doesn't get picked but the former does in the squad.

Starc is getting pumped by all n sundry in the'IPL and.magically that will some how all change in the T20 WC? 

I am a Green fan, but he ain't a T20 player, wasted pick TBH.....so is Agar, who is well n truly cooked. Would love to eat humble pie, but seriously don't think I will.

How stiff is Matt Short to miss out? 541 runs at 60 in the last BBL with a strike rate of over 150. A very handy spin bowler as well. Hardie would have been a better bet than Green or Stoinis IMO and they have stuck with the SHC bowling cartel instead of looking at the form BBL bowlers in Bartlett, Johnson and Dwarshuis who all took 17 or more wickets, average in the range 14-16 and economy rates in the 7rpo range which is pretty decent in todays T20. Starc has been going at almost 12rpo in the current IPL.

Yep another team based on reputation and past performance rather than current form, but hey who I am I to argue with the selectors and coach. The results speak for themselves in past ICC tournaments

No Shaun Abbott,Matt Short,Jason Berendorf+  Fraser Mcgurk the in form IPL batsman.
Another selection blooper like the last T20 WC.Hazlewood,Starc,Warner ,Captain Woke ,Agar are wonderful test +,ODI players.But theirs better T20 options.
Another example of puppet master Cummins.Pushing Ronald McDonald strings.

bastardised game that is hard to watch now with all the crap that is included in the price
nothing to see here but at least we know that our new opener is in the room

other news is Pucovski is up against the quacks and I hope they put the young fellow out for a while
talk about poor coaching how no-one has rectified this walk across the crease straight into short pitched bowling is way beyond me

In relation to Pucovski, I think the only option is for him to do the same as Angus Brayshaw and call it quits. Its very sad because he is a prodigious talent who could have been a 100 test player for Australia but health is the priority here and the young man needs to consider that he wants a quality of life when he is older that being hit on the head continually will not give him.

Southerner, you said it mate. there are so many batters out there that have no technique against good fast short bowling. Pukovski would have been a bunny facing the likes of Holding Garner Croft, Marshall, Willis etc back in the days. They would have lined up to knock him out and try to kill him

This years T20 world cup is really Indias to lose but then again we have said that before and they have failed to deliver consistently. They just seem to have so much talent that is currently being showcased in the IPL and the wickets in the USA and the West Indies will suit their batsmen and bowlers. 
Other contenders will be the West Indies on their home tracks, Defending champions England ( although I'm not sure about their bowling attack), New Zealand are always competitive and Australia always seem to lift for ICC events even though their team has a distinctly "Dads Army" look about it now. South Africa also might give a bit of cheek given they have some pretty destructive batters led by Klassen.

Obviously only a warm up - but the WI clean sweep SA 3 - 0 in their recent T20 clashes.

Looks like Head and Maxi head into the champs in great form......Head making 3 ducks in his last 4 IPL innings....with two golden ducks in the IPL finals...as for Maxi, well an average of 5 in the IPL this season says it all in regards to his current form....though Starc found sone form in the finals, after being smashed during the qualifying games.....so there is always hope I guess.

Warner 54 not out off 21 balls in a warm up game this morning, albeit against Namibia. Hazlewood 2-5 and Zampa 3-25 off their 4 overs. They only had 9 of their squad available so apparently George Bailey and one of the assistant coaches had to deputise in the field!