Spin triplets? Pitches could pave way for Swepson

Mitchell Swepson sees no reason why Australia cannot field three spinners in the same team at the upcoming World Cup, while insisting he is mentally stronger for his brief taste of international T20 cricket last summer.

Fellow spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar have been Australia's leading T20I bowlers since the format's last World Cup in 2016, both in terms of economy and wickets taken.

Yet Swepson is adamant there is room for him at this year's tournament too.

Captain Aaron Finch has said Australia are open to experimenting with spin triplets during the upcoming five-game T20 campaign against West Indies should conditions suit at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, which the visitors have expected to play low and slow after it hosted two Tests earlier this month.

The ground was lashed by the outer bands of Hurricane Elsa on Friday, with emergency crews cleaning up downed power lines and fallen trees across St Lucia, the venue for all five T20s against West Indies.

Nearby Barbados, where Australia travel for three ODIs later this month, was hit harder with rooves ripped from buildings and at least seven houses collapsing.

Although a little damp underfoot, St Lucia's main cricket ground was in otherwise good shape for Australia's training session on a humid but mainly dry Saturday afternoon and the entire 20-man playing group spent time batting and bowling on a centre wicket.

Among them was Swepson, who played alongside Zampa in three T20s last summer when Agar was absent through injury.

"I remember 'Zamps' saying to me when I first got picked in the last series against India, 'I love two leggies playing'," Swepson told cricket.com.au. "It's great – the more leggies, the better.

"We're different bowlers and we're not trying to be like each other. I'm not trying to use the same skills he's got and he's not trying to use the skills I've got.

"That's almost a weapon in itself, that we've got two leg-spinners who are completely different and we're trying to do different things with the ball.

"In T20 cricket when you get predictable, that's when you can go the journey. Having guys who are vastly different in the way they bowl is a real asset of ours.

"Hopefully I get the chance again to bowl with Zamps, it was good fun last summer."

Getting familiar with the rare ploy, for Australian teams at least, of bowling spin for more than half their 20 overs could pay dividends after the International Cricket Council confirmed this year's tournament had been moved from India to four venues in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

It seems inevitable there will be considerable wear and tear on surfaces in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah given the Indian Premier League's remaining 31 games will be played immediately prior to the World Cup in the UAE.

Used and dry pitches could give the tournament's best spin-bowling teams a significant edge.

Swepson is realistic that his best path into a World Cup spot will be alongside, and not at the expense of, Australia's leading spinners.

Since the 2016 World T20, Zampa has taken 38 wickets at an economy rate of 7.03 while Agar has captured 37 wickets at just 6.66 per over. On the wicket-taking front, only Andrew Tye (37 scalps, economy 8.74) is in the same ballpark, while Pat Cummins (7.21 per over) and Mitchell Starc (7.26) have been the next most miserly (minimum 20 overs bowled).

The fact Agar has batted in the top seven in recent times, plus the likelihood of at least one seam-bowling allrounder being included in the team, could open the door for Swepson.

"Being in the UAE, there might be a couple of deteriorating wickets there after the IPL … It's got my hopes up a little bit, (that) it's in a place where spin is going to play a big role," he said.

"But I've still got to perform and earn my spot on the (West Indies) tour."

Forgotten somewhat amid Swepson's career-best and title-winning Sheffield Shield season, during which he took 32 wickets in five games sandwiched either side of a serious neck injury, was an impressive showing in his return to the international T20 side in Australia's series defeat to India.

The call-up came amid a flurry of injuries that saw him go from being out of the T20I squad altogether to bowling his first ball in international cricket for almost two-and-a-half years, the Queenslander dismissing India captain Virat Kohli in an otherwise nervy and expensive return to Australian colours.

But he then took a further four wickets and went at only a six runs per over in the high-scoring second and third matches against some of the world's best players of spin.

"I remember that 24 hours leading into that (first) game, I wasn't even in the squad," Swepson recalled. "The whole whirlwind of getting selected (in the squad) and then being picked to play in that game played on my mind a lot.

"Preparation wise, it wasn't ideal and the nerves got the better of me … your body can take over a little bit, the pressure can get to you.

"I was just so excited to be out there playing for Australia, and I didn't expect to be out there. I was able to gather my thoughts a bit better for the second and third games and clear the mind a bit more and know I've got the confidence to compete at that level.

"That was a good learning."

Qantas Tour of the West Indies 2021

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Nathan Ellils, Tanveer Sangha.

West Indies T20 squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran (vc), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr

T20 series
(all matches at the Darren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia)

First T20: July 10, 9.30am AEST (July 9, 7.30pm local)

Second T20: July 11, 9.30am AEST (July 10, 7.30pm local)

Third T20: July 13, 9.30am AEST (July 12, 7.30pm local)

Fourth T20: July 15, 9.30am AEST (July 14, 7.30pm local)

Fifth T20: July 17, 9.30am AEST (July 16, 7.30pm local)

ODI series
(all matches at Kensington Oval, Barbados)

First ODI (D/N): July 21, 4.30am AEST (July 20, 2.30pm local)

Second ODI (D/N): July 23, 4.30am AEST (July 22, 2.30pm local)

Third ODI (D/N): July 25, 4.30am AEST (July 24, 2.30pm local)

* Details of five-match T20 tour of Bangladesh are yet to be announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Tours are subject to agreement on bio-security arrangements and relevant government approvals.