Cricket World Cup 2023: Australia

Australia are the most successful team in the history of the Cricket World Cup, lifting the trophy five times, including a run of four triumphs in five tournaments between 1999 and 2015.

They were thrashed by England in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup but won the T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021 and are 9/2 to be crowned 50-over world champions in India.

Australia Cricket World Cup squad

Pat Cummins (capt), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

Australia Cricket World Cup coach

Andrew McDonald was a talented and competitive all-rounder who averaged almost 40 with the bat and 29 with the ball during a long first-class career with Victoria.

His international playing career was limited to four Test matches against South Africa in 2009, but as a coach he has worked with Leicestershire, Victoria, Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash and IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals before succeeding Justin Langer as Australia's head coach in February 2022.

Australia Cricket World Cup record

1975 Runners-up 
1979 Group stage 
1983 Group stage 
1987 Winners 
1992 Group stage 
1996 Runners-up 
1999 Winners 
2003 Winners 
2007 Winners 
2011 Quarter-finals 
2015 Winners 
2019 Semi-finals

Possible XI

1. David Warner 
2. Travis Head 
3. Mitchell Marsh 
4. Steve Smith 
5. Cameron Green 
6. Alex Carey 
7. Marcus Stoinis
8. Pat Cummins 
9. Mitchell Starc 
10. Adam Zampa 
11. Josh Hazlewood

Strengths

Australia's World Cup pedigree is second to none and seven members of their triumphant 2015 squad were named in their provisional group for the 2023 tournament.

All-rounders Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis provide balance to the team and, like most of the Australia squad, they should feel at home in India having played plenty of IPL cricket.

Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh have nailed down their places in the top order thanks to some terrific innings over the past couple of years and leg-spinner Adam Zampa is a potential matchwinner. 

Weaknesses

Australia's vast experience comes at a price as several of their senior players have been struggling with injuries in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Captain Pat Cummins, fellow fast bowler Mitchell Starc, key batsman Steve Smith and spinning all-rounder Maxwell all missed September's ODI series in South Africa and are doubts for the Aussies' World Cup opener against India on 8th October.

Australia's batting at the 2019 World Cup was a little pedestrian, culminating in the semi-final defeat at Edgbaston where Smith scored 85 off 119 balls in a total of 223 and England cruised to an eight-wicket victory with almost 18 overs to spare.

Big-hitting all-rounder Tim David has been left out of the squad, so Australia will need strong starts from their top three of David Warner, Head and Marsh to take the pressure off a talented but inconsistent middle-order. 

Key Players

David Warner

The veteran opener scored 647 runs in 10 innings at the 2019 World Cup, finishing just one run behind the tournament's leading batsman, Rohit Sharma of India.

Warner's first ODI innings after the World Cup was an unbeaten 128 against India at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium and no overseas batsman has scored more than his 6,397 runs in the IPL so he is clearly a threat on Indian pitches.

While Warner's Test form has been patchy in recent years, he continues to score heavily in 50-over cricket, making 86 and 106 against England in November 2022 and cracking a century as Australia piled up 392-8 against South Africa on 9th September.        

Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh has spent most of his Australia career attempting to silence his critics and his recent performances in all three formats merit huge respect.

He was player of the match in the 2021 T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, scoring an unbeaten 77 off 50 balls, and made a brilliant Ashes century against England at Headingley this summer in his first Test appearance for almost four years.

Always a powerful striker of the ball, Marsh's shot selection and ability to build an innings have improved markedly in white-ball cricket. 

His overall ODI record remains modest – partly due to the fact that he has batted in every position from opener to number eight – but he scored 81, 66 not out and 47 in March's series in India and should have a big role to play at number three.   

Adam Zampa

A top-class leg-spinner is a crucial weapon for a World Cup in India and, like England's Adil Rashid, the 31-year-old Zampa is a master of his craft.

Zampa has played T20 franchise cricket all over the world, from the Caribbean Premier League to the IPL and from The Hundred to Major League Cricket in the USA, and he is a consistent wicket-taker whatever the conditions.

He had a terrific ODI series against England in 2020, taking 10 wickets in just three games, and was player of the match in his last 50-over international in India, dismissing Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in March's victory in Chennai.    

Odds

To Win Outright - 9/2