Australia's likely T20 World Cup team

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All the pressure will be on Australia at the end of 2022 as they look to both successfully host a World Cup and lift the trophy.

The likes of England, India, New Zealand and South Africa will all be breathing down their necks from the very start, with the Aussies in for a real fight this year.

With this in mind, picking the right mix of players to go to the competition is vital.

Can the favourites with Australian betting sites win on home soil? How will the Australian side look and who will make the cut? Here are some thoughts.

First off, the captain. Aaron Finch has been the number one for some time now, and despite struggling to consistently score runs, he has proved himself to be an able captain and tactician.

A lot has been made of Finch's opening partner David Warner, but he has looked in good form in recent matches, scoring 70 not out, 21 and 39 in three T20's against Sri Lanka. While Warner may be edging towards the twilight of his career at 35, he could have one big final say in the T20 World Cup on his own turf this year.

An option would be Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith in at three and four in the team.

Maxwell can accelerate the scoring at a moment's notice, while Smith is a great player to rotate the strike and soak up pressure. He is also no slouch when it comes to slapping the ball to and over the rope.

Some have questioned whether his style is right for T20 cricket, but it may be foolish to cram a team with players that have as high a chance of getting out as they do slapping the ball around.

Smith can be the consistent presence for the flair players around him.

The likes of Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade and Ashton Agar are the all-rounders, with Inglis and Wade able to keep wicket, while the others can bowl.

As for the specialist bowling options, Richardsons (Jhye and Kane) looks good, while Josh Hazlewood is a fine wicket-taker.

Players like Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Travis Head and Adam Zampa provide excellent support to the squad, with the quartet not really featuring in the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka. Starc is a player we feel will likely get into the squad if fit, while the rest may have to settle for bit-part roles.

Below, is a likely T20 World Cup squad for Australia, although in the months leading up to the competition things will likely change.

Form and injury will probably play a part, with this squad potentially changing with each month that goes by.

Australia's likely T20 World Cup 2022 squad

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