Don't count Australia out of WC: Kirsten

Australia can be major contenders for next year’s 50-over World Cup despite recent form concerns and controversy, Gary Kirsten believes.

The former South Africa batsman, who coached India to victory in the 2011 World Cup, believes under new coach Justin Langer the team could be in a position to defend the title they won in 2015 when the tournament in the United Kingdom begins in 12 months’ time.

Australia currently sit fifth in the International Cricket Council’s one-day international rankings – eight points adrift of fourth-ranked New Zealand and just two points ahead of Pakistan – and lost their most recent 50-over series to England 4-1.

"You can never count Australia out of any big tournament," Kirsten, who spends the summer in Australia as coach of Hobart Hurricanes in the KFC Big Bash League, told Reuters.

"They are the most consistent team across big tournaments and I am sure they will be ready to compete at the next World Cup."

Australia will again take on England, this time in the UK, next month in what will be a major test of a team who will be fielding a new (and yet-to-be-determined) captain and who will also be without their two best batsmen in banned pair Steve Smith and David Warner.

However, both batsmen could yet return when Australia begin their campaign against Afghanistan in Bristol on June 1, 2019, having served their punishments for the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

But while Kirsten won’t count Australia out, he believes hosts England – who displaced India as the No.1 ranked ODI team last week following the annual update to the ICC rankings – are among the frontrunners to claim what would be a first World Cup for an England men’s team.

South Africa, another team yet to win the tournament, are another side the former Protea can see challenging at the business end.

"All the teams have got closer and it really is open for any team to win the big tournaments," he said.

"England are playing an aggressive and exciting brand of cricket and it has certainly put them in a great position to contend in all tournaments.

"South Africa has built a team where you have a number of match-winners. AB (de Villiers) is one of them and he will be doing all he can to make sure he contributes as he always does."

The World Cup will be the first ICC tournament for new coach Langer, who on Thursday acknowledged there was an imposing schedule to come in his four-year appointment, beginning with India’s forthcoming visit to Australia where the world’s No.1 team is eyeing a first Test series victory on Australian soil.

The World Cup will be immediately followed by an away Ashes battle, while Australia will host a World T20 tournament in late 2020.

"We’ve got a World Cup, a T20 World Cup, a couple of Ashes (in 2019 and 2021-22) – I get nervous when I start thinking about it," Langer told a media conference in Melbourne on Thursday.

"There are some big tournaments coming up."