New faces expected in ODI squad

Less than a year after their World Cup triumph on home soil, Australia will take an almost unrecognisable bowling attack into the opening matches of the one-day international series against India that begins next week.

The national selectors are tomorrow expected to announce a 13-man squad for the first three fixtures of the five-match series against India that will be followed by three T20 internationals as the summer makes its transition from Test to white-ball cricket.

And while teams are in no rush to settle on a preferred ODI line-up ahead of the next World Cup – scheduled for the UK in 2019 – the change in Australia’s bowling personnel over the past 12 months underscores the pressure being placed on the nation’s pace stocks.

The retirements of Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris, along with long-term injuries to Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Coulter-Nile and the need for Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle to recuperate from a long Test campaign has opened the door for both fresh and forgotten faces.

Quick Single: Big Bash the showcase for ODI hopefuls

As a result, the selectors have a rare opportunity (that has arisen through necessity) to include some young, uncapped fast bowlers to gauge how they perform against one of the premier limited-overs outfits in world cricket.

Test squad member Scott Boland from Victoria, and Western Australia pair Joel Paris and Jason Behrendorff are among the bowlers who have performed impressively in last October’s Matador One-Day Cup competition and will come under strong consideration for higher honours.

Boland has been part of Australia’s preparation for all three Tests against the West Indies this summer, but missed his chance for a Baggy Green Cap when Siddle was ruled out of the current SCG match with an ankle impingement.

But the selectors opted for specialist spinner Steve O’Keefe as a replacement.

Behrendorff (who has overcome a back injury after playing for a Cricket Australia XI against the touring New Zealanders earlier in the summer) and Paris have both been in impressive form for competition leaders Perth Scorchers in the KFC Big Bash League. 

WATCH: Behrendorff nabs two wickets in two balls

If needed, until such time as Test new-ball pair Hazlweood and Pattinson are rested and ready to return, the selectors can bolster a greenhorn attack with bowlers who have previously represented Australia but have dropped a few places in the constantly evolving pace bowlers pecking order.

Among those candidates are South Australia’s Kane Richardson (second-highest wicket-taker in this summer’s Matador Cup behind Starc), New South Wales pair Doug Bollinger and Gurinder Sandhu or Victoria’s John Hastings who was drafted into Australia’s squad for the ODI series that followed last year’s Ashes campaign.

Others missing from Australia’s ODI team that lifted the World Cup in last March’s final against New Zealand at the MCG are skipper Michael Clarke and ‘keeper Brad Haddin (both retired), and Shane Watson who is likely to be overlooked in favour of younger all-rounder options Mitchell Marsh and James Faulkner.

Former Test ‘keeper Matthew Wade, who took the gloves during the ODI series in the UK, is likely to return to that role for the upcoming series. 

WATCH: Wade's classic catch for the Renegades

Aaron Finch could be given the chance to return to the international fold before he leads Australia’s Twenty20 squad to the ICC World T20 tournament in India, although incumbent Test pair Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja are also pushing for inclusion in the ODI top-order.

And Shaun Marsh, who lost his place in the Test XI last month despite posting a career-best 182 in Hobart to allow for Khawaja’s return from injury, seems set to gain another chance to impress in Australia colours given his sparkling touch for the Scorchers over recent weeks.

“Shaun has had a wonderful period in all formats,” Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager Team Performance Pat Howard told Fox Sports today.

“He’s knocking the door down, I know the selectors are looking at that very closely and he’s highly respected at the moment.

“He’s doing everything right.”

The first three ODIs against the Indian squad, that arrives in Australia later this week, will be played at the WACA in Perth (Jan 12), Gabba in Brisbane (Jan 15) and the MCG (Jan 17), venues where pace bowlers traditionally dominate.

The final two matches – for which the squad will be further revised – are set for Canberra (Jan 20) and the SCG (Jan 23), with the T20 internationals against India to follow in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

Possible Australia ODI squad – Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner, Matthew Wade, Scott Boland, Kane Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Joel Paris.

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