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Four quicks on cards for 'spicy' Gabba deck

Australia consider all-out pace against Bangladesh as monsoonal rain blows into Brisbane

Australia’s cricket brains trust is enduring a mild headache ahead of their next World Cup fixture, a malady caused as much by Brisbane’s tempestuous weather as the danger posed by a largely unknown and unpredictable opponent.

While the forecast of monsoonal rains for much of Queensland over the next three days means the Gabba pitch for Saturday’s match against Bangladesh will play heavily in the home team’s favour, it is the prospect of a significantly reduced or even washed-out game that is occupying Australia’s thinking.

As allrounder Glenn Maxwell explained at the conclusion of Australia’s lengthy training session at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field today, the Cup co-hosts are banking on the projected 50mm or more of rain on Saturday to clear in time for the match to go ahead, possibly in abbreviated form.

“I had a look before training, it (the forecast) didn't look ideal for the next couple days but I think Saturday it's going to hopefully clear up a little bit and all we need is 20 overs each (team to constitute a match),” Maxwell said.

“Hopefully we can get out for that amount of time.”

Quick Single: Mitch not fussed with Bangladesh footage

The prospect of the match being foreshortened to a shootout of 20 overs or thereabouts per side adds an extra element to a selection process that would have otherwise been comparatively straightforward.

Michael Clarke returns from hamstring surgery to take over as skipper from George Bailey who – by his own frank admission – will relinquish not only the captaincy but his place in the XI.

"He's hitting the ball beautifully, he's even bowling a bit in the nets and it all looks like he's moving really well,” Maxwell said of Clarke’s fitness and availability.

“So I think he'll be ready to go.

“It's been talked about quite a bit that he's going to be ready for this game, so I don't think there's any doubts about that.”

But the prospect of rain depriving the tournament favourites of two valuable points, and thereby installing the following weekend’s showdown between Australia and New Zealand as a likely play-off for the coveted top spot in Pool A, means discussions about Saturday’s line-up have broadened.

One possible scenario, which gained credence after the fast bowlers were let loose on lively practice pitches at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field today, is that Australia might consider all four members of its pace battery with an eye to blasting through Bangladesh’s batting in even more conducive conditions.

The potential for Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood tearing in against Bangladesh batters raised on flat, slow pitches with a wicket Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell foreshadows as being “spicy” at their disposal carries some appeal for the Australians.

Should they be given the chance to bowl first, they could launch an early, sustained onslaught with their heavy artillery in the hope of dismissing Bangladesh for a low total they could then hopefully chase down all guns blazing to secure a vital win.

"The wickets were a little bit juicy so it was interesting facing the quicks, that's for sure,” Maxwell noted today when asked to assess how today’s training session – which looms as Australia’s only out-of-doors practice run ahead of Saturday – might influence selection.

“I just faced Patty Cummins with a brand new ball in there and I don't wish that on anyone.

“So if it is like that (at the Gabba on Saturday) it would be a bit of a temptation to let four quicks rip, but then again I'm not a selector.

He then added: “I wouldn't mind being one – I'd play a lot more games.”

However, the contrary argument to the standard Test-match thinking of four pace bowlers for seaming Gabba conditions is built on the same foundation – that the game might be reduced to substantially less than 50 overs in which case any pursuit of victory will need to be made at helter-skelter pace.

As such, the move to play four specialist quicks would require the axing of one of Australia’s allrounders – either Maxwell or Mitchell Marsh, who both performed strongly in the team’s tournament opener against England, or Shane Watson, who missed out with the bat last weekend.

But that would also deprive the Australian batting of at least one proven, boundary-clearing batsman and if the weather dictates the game effectively becomes a T20 affair then big-hitters and innovative shot makers will be crucial.

Consequently, a decision on the final make-up of the Australia team is unlikely to be made until the covers are peeled off the pitch sometime on Saturday and the weather picture – unlike the heavy Brisbane skies – becomes a little clearer.

Regardless of the scenario that awaits, Maxwell has indicated that Australia are aware of the pitfalls of taking Bangladesh lightly despite the disparate world ODI rankings – Australia at one and Bangladesh at nine, ahead of only Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan.

After all, Maxwell was a member of the Australia team that was outplayed and embarrassed by Zimbabwe who posted an historic three-wicket win during an ODI series in Harare last year.

And, as Bangladesh proved on that memorable day at Cardiff in 2005 when they chased down the total set by Ricky Ponting’s star-studded but destabilised team, the one-day format pays little heed to reputations and ranking.

"Every game's tough in the World Cup,” Maxwell said.

“It's a long tournament and you've got to be 100 per cent on the whole way through.

“You saw Scotland got pretty close to New Zealand the other day, they were only three wickets off, and obviously Ireland beating the West Indies.

“Everyone can beat everyone in these games, so hopefully the sun stays out for a couple more days and we can get a full game."