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Selectors still searching for best T20 talent

Khawaja, Zampa still very much in World T20 despite being overlooked for India series

Despite naming an expansive 17-man squad for the KFC T20 International Series against India that starts in Adelaide tomorrow, selection chairman Rod Marsh admits it’s likely that Australia’s team for the biennial World T20 tournament will need to reach even further afield.

And Marsh identified in-form batsman Usman Khawaja as a near certainty to make the final 15-man squad as Australia sets their sights on the one major international men’s cricket trophy they have never lifted.

Quick Single: Zampa gets nod for NZ ODIs

Preparations for two of the favourites for the World T20 tournament, that begins in host nation India next March, begin formally at Adelaide Oval tomorrow evening where a huge crowd is expected for the joint celebration of Australia Day and for India’s Republic Day.

Even though Australia has named a squad for the three-match T20 series that contains as many players as are normally taken to the UK for a three-month Ashes tour, it is clear the selectors want to try as many candidates as possible before finalising their 15-man World T20 squad next month.

That was confirmed when Marsh and his panel today named uncapped South Australia leg spinner Adam Zampa in the touring party for next month’s three-game ODI series in New Zealand.

A decision that Marsh claimed “will give us a chance to have a good look at Adam ahead of the ICC World T20”.

Watch: Khawaja did all he could: Marsh

He also acknowledged that Zampa and fellow leggie, Cameron Boyce from Queensland, would be effectively involved in a ‘bowl-off’ during their respective T20 and ODI campaigns in which they are involved in order to secure a specialist spinner’s berth in the World T20 squad.

“His accuracy, his competitive nature, his batting and fielding – he’s a pretty good package,” Marsh said today in relation to Zampa, and the prospective showdown with Boyce over coming weeks.

“Boyce is also a pretty good package so we’ll wait and see how he (Boyce) goes against India and wait and see how Adam goes against New Zealand.

“Admittedly we don’t know what they’re going to get in New Zealand pitch-wise so they may not be ideal conditions for him to bowl under, but we’ll wait and see and try and give him the best run that we can over there.”

Quick Single: Khawaja with all but an opportunity

In addition to the three-match KFC T20 Series against India and the three ODIs scheduled for the Qantas Tour of New Zealand next month, Australia will play a further three T20 internationals against the Proteas in South Africa ahead of the ICC event.

As a consequence, the selectors will be looking for players who are not only able to stand up amid the hectic pace and pressure of the 20-over format, but exhibit the game plans and tools likely to succeed on the lower, slower pitches they are likely to encounter in India next March.

“It’s very big,” Marsh said today when asked about the significance of the coming T20 matches in Adelaide, Melbourne (Friday) and Sydney (Sunday) in finalising Australia’s squad for the sixth iteration of the World T20.

“But we’ve got to remember that we’re playing in Australia (over the coming week), we’re not playing under Indian conditions.

“There’s some players in the 17 (for the KFC Series) that I expect won’t be chosen in the 15 (for the World T20) - obviously two of them won’t be, but there will probably be more than that and there will probably be players that come into that 15 that aren’t necessarily playing at the moment.”

Watch: Uncut: Marsh on national selections

Asked if Khawaja - who starred for the Sydney Thunder in the final week of their ultimately successful KFC BBL|05 campaign but is in neither the current Australia ODI or T20 squads - was one of those players, Marsh all-but-confirmed that the left-hander would be added for the ICC tournament in India.

“Would you pick him in your T20 side at the moment?” Marsh asked of assembled media representatives today.

“There’s three blokes (on the national selection panel) who are going to have to give me a pretty good case to change my mind.

“Usman is right up there as far as being included in the T20 World Cup squad.”

Watch: Khawaja sparkles with super 70

Australia’s T20 captain Aaron Finch, who will lead a team that includes Test and ODI skipper Steve Smith, speculated that BBL|05 batting stars Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat) and Travis Head (Adelaide Strikers) were also “probably” vying for a single berth for the T20 world championship.

The big-hitting duo are in the squad for the KFC T20 Series that also includes veteran fast bowler Shaun Tait, uncapped Perth Scorchers seamer Andrew Tye and Test off-spinner Nathan Lyon who was left out of the ODI squad for New Zealand when Zampa was preferred.

India also bring a revamped squad to that which lost the just-completed VB ODI Series 1-4, with experienced players such as Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra and Harbhajan Singh attempting to shore up their positions for the World T20 tournament at home.

Finch claimed that as the skipper who would lead his team in search of a trophy that has been won by India, Pakistan, England, the West Indies and Sri Lanka since the World T20 tournament was introduced in 2007, he had a reasonable idea as to what Australia’s best T20 XI might be.

And that even though the chairman of selectors had foreshadowed the drafting of players from beyond the current 17-man squad for the showpiece T20 event, those who were taking part in the upcoming KFC series had a priceless opportunity to secure their place through weight of performance.

“We’ve got an idea of what it (Australia’s best T20 XI) might look like,” Finch said today.

“But the beauty of having these three T20s against India and an ODI series in New Zealand and then three more T20s (in South Africa) is we’ve got some time for the guys who have got the first opportunity now to have first crack at it.

“To put their hand up and to cement their spot (for the World T20 in) India.

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“Rod (Marsh) said that there might be guys coming from outside but if the guys in the (current) squad perform well then it’s going to be hard to make way.

“So it’s all about the guys taking the opportunity here, and making sure that when it’s their turn to make some runs or take some wickets and change a game by themselves that they’ve got first crack at it.

“And they can be at the forefront of the selector’s minds when that 15-man squad is named.”

Finch’s role as T20 captain has been the subject of debate among critics who have questioned the wisdom of having split leadership when Smith is undoubtedly assured of a place in the starting XI at Test, ODI and T20 International level for the foreseeable future.

But the 29-year-old sees no issue with him acting as skipper to players such as Smith, current Test vice-captain David Warner and former Test captain Shane Watson who is also a member of the 17-man squad for the KFC T20 International Series.

Quick Single: Khawaja's purple patch re-visited

And Finch plans to utilise and consult his experienced teammates on a regular basis to help further develop his own captaincy acumen.

“It will give Steven (Smith) a chance to freshen up and just play,” Finch said about the change in on-field leadership.

“He’s been in amazing form for a long time now, so I think to not have the captaincy, to just train and play like he did when he was a youngster is a great thing for him.

“And for me I enjoy having Steve around, he’s obviously got a lot of experience all around the world (as well as) guys like Davey Warner and Shane Watson who have played so much.

“For me, it’s about trying to learn as much as I can from them and to use all their resources.

“There’s a lot of experience there so that’s what I’ll be doing – just trying to use them as much as I can to bounce some ideas off and get some feedback.”