Australia's 'new era' begins in Belfast

Five months after claiming the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, Australia’s preparation for the 2019 event is about to begin.

England will host the 50-over game’s showpiece event in four years’ time, 20 years after it last held the tournament where Australia rallied from a poor start to win their second one-day crown.

Fifteen years on, Australia have added three more World Cups to the trophy cabinet, and the planning for a sixth title is underway, beginning with a one-off one-day international against Ireland in Belfast tomorrow (Thursday).

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Between now and the next World Cup, Australia will play a maximum of 15 matches in England, made up of two five-match series (2015 and 2018) and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017.

The format of the revived Champions Trophy is set to replicate the 2013 edition, also held in England, where three group stage matches were followed by a semi-final and final.

Australia failed to advance from the group stage two years ago, and after a fourth-straight Ashes loss on foreign soil, every match on British turf will be vital.

So while the 2019 edition might appear as a speck on the horizon, new skipper Steve Smith knows the importance of every match in unfamiliar conditions.

“Being exploited, I guess, by the conditions over here it's going to be really good for us to get all the experience we can get,” Smith said.

“It's a different part of the world. I think the World Cup is going to be played quite early in the season so the wickets could have quite a bit in them.

“There's no hiding from that. Every opportunity we get to play in these conditions is pretty crucial for us.”

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The squad to take on Ireland, as well as England in a five-match series from September 3 in Southampton, features seven fresh faces from the World Cup triumph in March.

Gone are retired players Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin, rested fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood, suspended allrounder James Faulkner, injured batsman Aaron Finch and omitted spinner Xavier Doherty.

In their place come three uncapped players in Ashton Agar, Joe Burns and Victorian allrounder Marcus Stoinis, along with returning players Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Pattinson and Matthew Wade.

With nine of the 15-man group who won the World Cup under 29, the battle for spots for the 2019 tournament is set to usher in a “new era” of one-day cricket for Australia.

“It’s great for them to be around this one-day group for the first time,” Smith said of the fresh faces in the squad.

“They’ve thoroughly deserved their selection, they’ve played some really good cricket over the last little bit and some good cricket in India with the ‘A’ stuff, so it’s good to have those new guys around the group.

“I guess it’s a new era in a way for Australian cricket but they’re really excited and I’m really excited to see them do well on this tour.”