ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Team Profile: Australian Cricket Team

Australia will begin their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign against the hosts, India on 8th October in Chennai.

Five-time champions Australia are the most successful team in the ICC Cricket World Cup. Once they had dominated the game of cricket just like the West Indies did for almost a decade. Australia have made a hat-trick of World Cup wins from 1999 in England to 2007 in the West Indies. India is a lucky place for the Kangaroos in terms of winning cricket’s glorious title. Australia won their maiden World Cup title in 1987 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata after defeating England in the final.

Now in 2023, They have landed once again in India to regain their power and dominance in the cricket world. With a great bunch of experienced players, Australia are considered front-runners to be crowned World Champions for the record sixth time. Recent performances have not been in their favour but the kind of talent they are taking along in the mega event will put them alongside the best in the world. The Pat Cummins-led side will be playing their opening fixture against India at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on 8th October. 

Performance in the last ICC Cricket World Cup:

Australians were defending their title in the 2019 World Cup played in England. After a great run in the league round, they failed in the semifinal against the hosts England. Australia won 7 out of their 9 league games and they were looking for strong contenders to defend their title. But the 2019 World Cup was England's destiny as they defeated the Australians by 8 wickets at Edgbaston in a one-sided encounter. 

Australians lost to only India and South Africa in the round-robin league round to secure their place in the semifinal against England. Australian batting failed miserably against Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid and they provided England their golden opportunity to qualify for the finals after 1992 in Australia. Mitchell Starc (27 wickets) and David Warner (647 Runs) had a wonderful tournament in England. 

Australia's Squad for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023:

Australia announced their final 15-member squad on the last day of the cut-off date. They suffered a few injury scars before their Indian ODI tour but most of the players made the cut on the final day. Aston Agar is the only one missing out due to an injury. Left-hand batter Travis Head has been picked and he may miss a few games in the first half of the tournament. Head got a fracture in his left hand while playing against South Africa.

Australia’s 2021 T20 World Cup win hero Mitchell Marsh will be opening for Australia along with David Warner. Australia have got a good mix and balance of middle-order batters and pace bowlers. Only thing they lack in assistance to Adam Zampa in spinning conditions. They have got Glenn Maxwell as the other spin option after Adam Zampa along with part-timers like Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Marbus Labuschagne. 

Australia's strongest playing XI for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023:

Australia will be going in David Warner and Mitchell Marsh as the opening pair. Both of them have done a magnificent job against South Africa and India in bilateral ODI series. The experience of Steve Smith will be used as a crucial number 3 position. Smith is going strong and he is in good form. Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green will be taking up the role in the middle order.

All-rounder Maxwell will also be accompanying Adam Zampa in a spin bowling attack as well. Alex Carey will be playing finisher and also wicket-keeper. Captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood are the three pacers in the possible playing XI. Adam Zampa will be the lone spinner. Zampa will be their key figure playing in Indian conditions. 

Australia XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Australia's coaching staff for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023:

Former All-rounder Andrew McDonald was Justin Langer’s deputy and he was given the charge after Langer had to leave the coaching role. McDonald was appointed Australia’s head coach in April 2022 and took them on a victorious ride in the ICC Test Championship. McDonald will be looking to extend his trophy cabinet as Australian coach in the upcoming World Cup 2023. 

Along with Andrew McDonald, Former Australian domestic legend Michael Di Venuto is on the Australian coaching staff as a batting consultant. Former Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori will be assisting Adam Zampa and the group as Australia’s spin bowling coach which is key in Indian conditions. Vettori was a top performer as a spinner in Indian conditions. Andre Borovec is their fielding coach. 

Strengths

Powerful batting lineup: Australians are equipped with a decent batting lineup starting from David Warner, and Steve Smith in the top order to Alex Carey, and Mitchell Starc in the lower middle order. Most of them are great options while taking on spinners in India. 

Lethal pace attack: The Australian pace attack is one of the most lethal ones in the ODI format. Australian captain Pat Cummins will be leading the charge along with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood with Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green as extra bowling options. 

World Cup winners: Australia are the most successful team in the World Cup with 5 titles in their cabinet. No other team has managed to win the tournament more than twice. This will play a major role in their campaign in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. 

Weaknesses

Lack of spin bowling options: With Aston Agar’s injury, Australians are banking on leg-spinner Adam Zampa as the single spin bowling option in the squad. In Indian conditions, a lack of quality spinners to assist Zampa may play a key role in Australia's campaign. 

Unsettled opening: Mitchell Marsh and David Warner are the new opening pair the Australian camp is trying out in the World Cup 2023. Marsh and Warner batted in only a few innings before heading into the World Cup tournament. A good pace attack like Pakistan, South Africa, and India can make good use of this. 

Australian Players to watch out for in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023:

David Warner: The legendary Australian opener will be playing his last 50-over World Cup and may also announce his retirement from ODI cricket after the event. David Warner will be a key figure in the Australian playing XI and his stats in India in limited overs provide a major boost in the team's confidence. Warner will be expected to give Australia a flying start as an opener.  

Cameron Green: Australian all-rounder had a wonderful Indian Premier League season with Mumbai Indians and also had a decent outing against India in the three-match ODI series...Not with the ball though. Green will be taking up the responsibility in the Australian lower order as well as the 4th seam bowler option in the playing XI. Green has an experience of playing 20 ODIs for Australia. 

Adam Zampa: Leg-spinner Adam Zampa is now considered among the finest leg-spinners playing in the white-ball cricket. With 142 wickets in 85 ODIs for Australia, Zampa’s role will be bigger than what he had expected. Agar’s absence will increase his workload as well as the expectations from Australian fans. Zampa will be Australia’s key player in Indian conditions. 

Australia's Fixtures for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

Australians will begin the World Cup 2023 campaign against the hosts India on 8th October at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. After that, they will be travelling to the land of Nawabs in Lucknow and playing against South Africa on 12th October. Australia will stay in Lucknow for one more game against Sri Lanka on 16th October. Australia will then fly to Bengaluru to take on Pakistan on 20th October. After taking on Men in Green, Australia will fly to the national capital in Delhi and play the Netherlands on 25th October. 

Australia will be travelling around the 8 different cities across India to play their league round games. After Delhi, their team will move up north in Himalaya where they will take on their neighbours New Zealand on 28th October in Dharamshala. Then comes the big game against arch-rivals England in Ahmedabad on 4th November. For the final two games, Australia will stay in Maharashtra and play against Afghanistan in Mumbai on 7th November and against Bangladesh in Pune on 11th November.

What to expect from Australian cricket team in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023?

The Australian team won their maiden World Cup title in India in 1987 when they defeated England at Eden Gardens. Australian fans will be expecting Pat Cummins to do something similar on 19th November at Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium. Cummins has been a decent captain for Australia but he is yet to prove himself in the ODI format. With a formidable side in the bank, Australians will be looking to win their record 6th title. 

David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell provide a great batting lineup for any team playing in the Indian conditions. Similarly, their pace attack has been considered among the best along with Pakistan, India, and South Africa. If Australia manage to strike the right balance between their batting and pace bowling then they have a great chance of winning the World Cup title once again. Australia are expected to qualify for semifinal.