Finch backed in as new ODI skipper

World Cup winner Jason Gillespie expects Australia to announce Aaron Finch as the country's new one-day captain when the Gillette ODI Series squad to face South Africa is named.

Finch would replace Tim Paine, the current Test captain who according to Gillespie has done an "amazing job" since filling the leadership void left by suspended skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner.

But after a lean run in the five-match ODI series against England, where he made just 36 runs in five innings, and the emergence of South Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey, Paine's days in the 50-over team are over in Gillespie's eyes.

"I think at this point Aaron Finch is in the frame to do that role should that (dropping Paine) happen, and I sense that would happen," Gillespie said on The Unplayable Podcast. "And I also sense it's probably the right thing to do as well.

"I think Tim, in a short space of time in very, very challenging circumstances, he's done an amazing job leading the Australian cricket team in Test cricket.

"I personally would be in favour of him continuing to lead the Australian Test side and have that role moving forward.

"We've seen Alex Carey be afforded a couple of opportunities in the limited-overs formats and I would like to see that continue.

"I think we'll see a situation where there will be at some point in the future, a year or two down the track, there'll probably be a natural handover of the wicketkeeping gloves from Paine to Carey and in that time a successor as Test captain would evolve in that period.

"Certainly, from the one-day perspective I don't see any reason why Australian selectors wouldn't endorse Aaron Finch to lead the Australian one-day side."

The national selection panel is expected to name the one-day squad for the three-match series against the Proteas this week to allow those members in the T20 squad in the UAE to fly directly to Perth for the opening match on November 4.

National coach Justin Langer revealed at the end of the Pakistan Test series Australia's selectors will look to pick a full-strength side to face South Africa and resist the urge to allow certain players to play Shield cricket ahead of the summer’s Domain Test series against India.

Langer said Shaun Marsh is a likely starter in the ODI squad after the veteran posted two centuries against England in June despite his recent form slump in the Test side.

Pace pair Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are expected to be named having played in the Toyota Futures League in the past fortnight, with their bowling loads managed with an eye on the ODIs.

Bulls master blaster Chris Lynn would be difficult to leave out given his successful return to one-day cricket in the JLT One-Day Cup, where he posted two centuries, three fifties and scored at a strike rate of 117.70.

Western Australian D'Arcy Short, who made his ODI debut in England this year, is likely to join Lynn after scoring a record 257 against Queensland in the JLT Cup and continuing that good form with an unbeaten 68 in Australia's T20I win over the UAE. Ben McDermott, who had a breakout JLT Cup for Tasmania and made his Australian debut against the UAE, could also force his way into the ODI squad. 

Mitch Marsh was unavailable for selection against England but is now back to full fitness and looks likely could join allrounders Ashton Agar, Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell.

Perhaps the biggest question marks around the squad are the fitness of Mitchell Starc and whether the selectors will pick a specialist spinner.

Starting with Starc, the left-armer is being carefully handled after sustaining hamstring tightness in the second Test against Pakistan but has remained with the T20 squad in the UAE.

He did not play against the UAE on Monday and it's unclear how much he will play in the three-match series against Pakistan.

With Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andrew Tye and Billy Stanlake firing on all cylinders, the selectors have ample options to cover Starc should they decide it best he recovers during the ODI series.

But if Starc is selected, one of Coulter-Nile, Tye and Stanlake would likely be the fourth fast bowler in the squad, with the towering Stanlake perhaps a nose, or head, in front of his teammates.

Australia have been reluctant to play a specialist spinner in 50-over contests on home soil in recent seasons, but with the World Cup coming up they may buck that trend.

Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa, who are both in the T20 squad, appear to be the frontrunners, but with Agar, Head and Maxwell likely to be selected and matches held in Perth, Adelaide and Hobart – locations that favour fast bowling – the selectors might stick to an all-out pace attack and rely on allrounders as slow-bowling options.

Possible Australia squad for the Gillette ODI Series v South Africa: Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch (c), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitch Starc