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Hussey's radical idea to make Australia T20 giants

Melbourne Stars skipper proposes the national team should take on city-based franchises in the Big Bash League

Melbourne Stars captain David Hussey has proposed a radical idea to help Australia improve their Twenty20 ranking and gain further experience in the sporadic format.

Hussey suggested the Australian team join the eight city-based clubs in the KFC Big Bash League in order to expose the country's top players to the elite T20 cricket they miss out on due to international assignments throughout the summer.

"This is a bit rogue but I would like to see the Aussie T20 team play in the Big Bash League and see how they go with their skills in that aspect of the game," Hussey told SEN radio.

"They've barely played any games of T20 in the Big Bash so wouldn't it be great to see Dave Warner, Steve Smith, Aaron Finch and James Faulkner play the whole season for their country playing against their original franchises.

"I think that would be fantastic."

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Australia's leadership duo of Smith and Warner did not play in the Big Bash this season, and while Smith was rested from the two Sydney Sixers games he could have played, his vice-captain is without a club to call home.

Of the 15-man squad selected for the ICC World T20, six players – Smith (0), Warner (0), Mitchell Marsh (1), Peter Nevill (3), Josh Hazlewood (0), Nathan Coulter-Nile (1) – played fewer than four matches in BBL|05.

In Hazlewood's case, Sunday's thrilling five-wicket win over South Africa at the Wanderers was his first T20 match, at any level, in more than two years.

Australia had an opportunity to go to No.1 in the world in T20 cricket in their three-match series against India at home in January, but a clean-sweep by the visitors dashed those dreams and banished the hosts to No.8, who have recovered slightly to move up two spots.

While Hussey's idea holds some merit – and also evokes memories of fringe players doing their best to knock off the established stars when an Australia A team featured in 50-overs tournaments in the mid-1990s – logistically it would be impossible to pull off.

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During the frenetic six-week tournament, the Australian team features in the annual Boxing Day and New Year's Tests, which are followed by a series of one-day internationals against a touring side in January – the same time period the BBL runs.

Cricket Australia Executive General Manager of Operations Mike McKenna confirmed in January the competition would not expand until the current television broadcast deal with Network Ten expired in 2018-19.

Which means Hussey's vision is, at the very minimum, at least two years away from fruition.

To counter the lack of the T20 matches in the lead up to the World T20, Australia have given each member of their squad an opportunity in the series against South Africa, with more changes expected for the deciding T20 international against the Proteas in Cape Town in Wednesday.

"We're sort of playing T20 Idol at the moment, sort of trying Shane Watson at the top and Dave Warner in the middle," said Hussey.

"Then opening the bowling with John Hastings and (Andrew) Tye, no one really knows where they fit amongst the team.

"I'd like the team settled … but I really like the move that Dave Warner has gone into the middle order."

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Warner produced a match-winning innings in his first knock at No.4 in Johannesburg, and it's a role he feels comfortable in and one he can expect to fill during the World T20.

"Yeah I've done it (bat at No.4) before in IPL," Warner told reporters after play.

"It's whatever is in the best interests of the team. I'm pretty flexible. I don't say to Steve (Smith) 'I want to bat at the top'.

"It's something where if I'm helping the team in any way, shape or form then I'm all ears for that.

"It's one of those things where you have to try and mix up the middle, you need a left-hander somewhere in the middle and fortunately enough I can play that role.

"I'll have to speak to Steve, but this is preparation for the (T20) World Cup so I'm assuming I'll be placed there."