Image Credit- CA
The selectors may choose to play one or both of
Australia’s three-format fast bowlers in the upcoming Twenty20 International
series against the West Indies and New Zealand. These are the only six Twenty20
Internationals Australia will play before the Twenty20 World Cup in June. This
is due to the bowlers’ less demanding than anticipated workload during the Test
summer.
Thus far in the four Tests that Pat Cummins, Josh
Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc have played at home, none of the four games have
gone to a fifth day. Cummins is the only player who has bowled 20 overs in an
innings more than once, although he has only done it twice in eight innings
this summer. Neither has been required to bowl more than 38 overs in a game.
It was likely that all three will be rested from the
T20Is as well as the ODIs against the West Indies in early February. The
selectors meet on Monday to decide those teams, but considering how their
workloads have developed throughout the summer, there might be a chance to play
in one or both of those series.
“We’ll give some thought to that,” Australia
head coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’ll be some that may play, and
there’ll be some that might not play. It’ll be different squads [for each
series]. We’ll look to potentially be at full strength for the New Zealand
series.
“We’ve got six games before the World Cup. A lot
of the World Cup planning is in place at the moment. We’ll try to be as close
to full strength for the New Zealand series as possible. The West Indies series
is slightly nuanced.”
David Warner will be picked for the West Indies and
New Zealand Twenty20 internationals, according to McDonald. He will also have
to depart the ILT20 and return to Australia by February 7. Tim David, who
signed with MI Emirates, is also in the same situation. If Marcus Stoinis is
picked for both of Australia’s series as predicted, he could possibly head home
early from the SA20 with Durban’s Super Giants.
“Davey will be picked,” McDonald said.
“He will come back from the ILT20. I think most of our players that are
going over there are due back in on [February 7] in preparation for the [first]
T20 in Hobart. David will be part of those teams [too].”