Fresh approach for Aussies in ODI rut

As the most maligned Australian cricket team in recent memory jets out to the United Kingdom this evening, new captain Tim Paine is optimistic their on-field actions can speak to the sort of values he and head coach Justin Langer are intent on instilling. 

Incredibly, Paine is the fifth man to have been named to lead Australia in white-ball cricket since the beginning of last year, and the results since have reflected that lack of continuity: 11 defeats from 13 completed matches is as bad a stretch as the five-time World Cup winners have ever endured. 

They now face England, the world's No.1 ranked ODI team, in a five-match series, and they will be without suspended batting superstars David Warner and Steve Smith, as well as injured leading quicks Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins – two of the three leading wicket-takers (alongside Josh Hazlewood) throughout that lean run. 

Compounding their on-field form has been the damage to their reputation from the ball-tampering controversy in South Africa, which also instigated the new Paine-Langer regime. 

"Justin sat us down for a team meeting last week and spoke about the Australian cricket team's values, and what he expects," Paine told media in Brisbane on Monday. 

"It's nothing that's brand new, nothing the guys haven't heard before – it's purely about acting on what we know is the right thing to do and the right way to play our cricket. 

"We've had Spirit of Cricket documents, we've had Code of Conduct documents, but at the end of the day they mean nothing if you don't act on them and you don't live by them. 

"That's been a huge focus for us, has been around our actions, our behaviours and making sure we live up to the standards that the Australian cricket team should.

"So we've spoken about it, but getting on a plane tonight now, we get to go over there and talk through our actions, which the guys are looking forward to. 

"We're not going over there to make up or the numbers or be the nicest Australian cricket team ever to play against. 

"We're going to be really competitive, at the same time we're going to be really respectful, but we're going there to win."

On Saturday, Langer said his charges would be relishing the underdogs tag against ODI powerhouses England, while Paine said he expected the media glare to dissipate as the series got underway and cricket took over as the conversation. 

"We're probably going to get a bit more intense spotlight from their media when we first arrive," he said. 

"But we've spoken about the way we want to hold ourselves, the way we want to behave, and I'm sure once we get there and get into playing cricket, those sorts of things will die off into the background and cricket will be the number one focus."

Australia will play two practice one-day matches in England – on June 7 against Sussex at Hove and on June 9 against Middlesex at Lord's – before the opening match on June 13 at The Oval. 

Paine said the warm-up fixtures will be used to experiment with the potential starting side. 

"At the moment we haven't got too specific into things," he said. "We've got 10 or 12 days where we'll really nut things out about how our team sets up.

"I'm sure we'll try a few different combinations in the practice games leading into the first game."

Qantas tours of England and Zimbabwe

ODI squad: Tim Paine (c), Aaron Finch (vc), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye

T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth

Qantas Tour of England

June 7: Warm-up v Sussex, Hove (D/N)

June 9: Warm-up v Middlesex, Lord's

June 13: First ODI, The Oval (D/N)

June 16: Second ODI, Cardiff

June 19: Third ODI, Trent Bridge (D/N)

June 21: Fourth ODI, Durham (D/N)

June 24: Fifth ODI, Old Trafford

June 27: Only T20, Edgbaston (D/N)

Qantas T20I tri-series Tour of Zimbabwe

Sunday, July 1: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Monday, July 2: Pakistan vs Australia

Tuesday, July 3: Australia vs Zimbabwe

Wednesday, July 4: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Thursday, July 5: Pakistan vs Australia

Friday, July 6: Australia vs Zimbabwe

Sunday, July 8: Final