Steve Smith is set to be left out of the Australian team to play New Zealand in the T20 World Cup clash in Sydney on Saturday.
The 33-year-old was a member of the World Cup-winning side last year but has struggled for runs in recent T20 internationals in India and at home.
Australian chairman of selectors George Bailey gave a strong clue about Smith’s status for the upcoming clash at the SCG when asked whether he would have a role to play.
“I think all the members of our 15 have a role to play but I don’t think that will be starting in the 11 for Steve,” Bailey said.
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“I think that should we need a role from him at some stage, then absolutely.”
(Photo by Daniel Pockett – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Smith’s likely absence from the starting side will pave the way for Tim David to fill the No.6 role as a batsman.
Opener David Warner had a neck strain that ruled him out of the third T20 international against England and he did not play against India in the warm-up game on Monday.
Bailey said Warner was “fine” to play against New Zealand and was always set to sit out the India clash.
Allrounder Mitch Marsh has not bowled in a match since August due to an ankle injury. Bailey said he was not far away from bowling but could not guarantee that would be on Saturday.
“He is tracking well. I don’t think it is any secret that our allrounders are an important part of our structure,” Bailey said.
“I think he bowled 20 to 30 balls with pretty good intensity in the nets yesterday.
“I think he has hit all the markers that he wanted to but I think given the importance of that (allrounder) structure it is not something we wanted to risk too early but I fully expect that Mitch will be available and ready to go, whether that is Saturday or game two.”
Pat Cummins said Australia were fortunate to have plenty of options with allrounder Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis more than capable of making a valuable contribution with the ball.
“You’ve seen Maxwell be a frontline bowler in one-day and T20 cricket,” Cummins said.
“We feel like Stoinis can bowl anywhere in the innings and Maxwell can bowl in the power play or through the middle, so no problems there.”
Topley injury scare for England
Sam Curran feels England are straining at the leash to start the T20 World Cup but Reece Topley has emerged as an injury scare ahead of their first match against Afghanistan.
Topley rolled his left ankle during some catching drills in Brisbane on Monday afternoon and did not feature in their final warm-up against Pakistan.
England announced Topley “will be assessed throughout this week” and are hopeful of a swift recovery.
It is an unwanted headache as they travel to Perth to take on Afghanistan on Saturday, with Topley becoming an increasingly dependable figure in the white-ball ranks since the turn of the year.
The left-arm seamer has taken 17 wickets in 16 T20s in 2022 and can bowl anywhere in an innings, with an economy rate of 7.8 impressive given he operates mainly in the powerplay at the death.
Curran and David Willey are England’s other left-armers in their 15-strong squad so they are unlikely to this weekend risk Topley, who has overcome multiple stress fractures in his back during his career.
Curran is expected to be in England’s XI against Afghanistan, irrespective of whether Topley features, and believes they are tracking well after an improvement in results recently following a disappointing summer.
England recorded a 4-3 series win in Pakistan and then thrashed the same opponents by six wickets in a low-key practice match on Monday, having also beaten World Cup hosts and defending champions Australia 2-0.
“We’re definitely ready now,” Curran said. “We’re feeling like we’re almost not peaking but we’re playing good cricket, (as shown in winning series against) Pakistan and Australia then this game.
“We’re really excited, hopefully with a couple of good training sessions in Perth, come the weekend we’ll be good.”
Dutch double delight after beating Namibia
The Netherlands are all but through to the T20 World Cup Super 12 stage after edging out Namibia in their second straight narrow victory in the first round.
Fresh from their three-wicket win over the UAE with one ball to spare, the Netherlands restricted Namibia to 6-121 despite a hard-hitting 43 from Jan Frylinck.
They were cruising after a 59-run opening stand before losing five wickets to sneak home with three balls to spare to be on top of the Group A table.
Vics fight back against WA
Victoria openers Marcus Harris and Will Pucovski have shared a century stand in a robust reply to a D’Arcy Short propelled Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield.
After WA posted 466 all out, the Victorians are 1-124 at stumps on day two in Melbourne with Harris not out 67 and Pucovski making 37.
The pair put on 104 runs for the first wicket before Pucovski, who struck four boundaries and a six from 117 balls, was caught behind when fending a short leg-side ball just before stumps.
Harris’ mini-milestone continues his solid early Shield form – he scored 85 and 42 in a draw against South Australia last week.
The left-hander hit 11 fours and dominated his union with Pucovski, who was continuing his first-class comeback after ongoing concussion issues.
Earlier, Western Australia’s batting tail wagged as Short whacked a career-best 87 and Hilton Cartwright made 70.
WA resumed on Tuesday at 5-290 with Cartwright not out 39 and he soon posted his 19th first-class half-century.
Cartwright (134 balls, eight fours) found support from Corey Rocchiccioli, who struck three fours and a six in his 27, and the pair put on a handy 56-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Short, batting at No.8, cashed in with a late flurry – his career-high knock included seven fours and three sixes as WA set an imposing total.
Spinner Todd Murphy (3-104) led the wicket-takers for Victoria with Mitchell Perry taking 2-59 and legspinning debutant Ruwantha Kellapotha claiming 2-122.
Pacemen Cameron McClure and Will Sutherland and Matt Short also took a wicket.
WA opener Cameron Bancroft scored an opening-day 100, featuring in a 146-run partnership with Sam Whiteman (82), while Teague Wyllie made 49.
Swepson rips into Blues for Bulls
Leg spinner Mitch Swepson captured two key wickets to put Queensland on top at tea against NSW in their Sheffield Shield match.
The Blues resumed after lunch on day one at Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval on 3-65 after NSW captain Kurtis Patterson and stalwart Moises Henriques produced a much-needed partnership.
Swepson (2-34), who played recently for Australia in the T20 international against England in Perth, bowled left-hander Patterson (40) with a perfect leg-break before capturing the key wicket of Henriques (42).
The Blues dug in before the tea break with Sean Abbott (14) and Matthew Gilkes (32) taking them to 5-135.
The Bulls won the toss and had the Blues reeling at 3-16.
Paceman Mark Steketee (2-18) teamed with new-ball partner Michael Neser (1-36) to put early heat on NSW’s batsmen.
Neser struck with the fourth ball of the innings, trapping Daniel Hughes lbw for a duck when the opener prodded forward to a fullish ball.
Steketee then removed Blake Nikitaras for one when the Blues newcomer edged to fourth slip where Neser took the catch.
The Bulls quick soon claimed another victim when Jason Sangha, also on one, pushed forward defensively and nicked to Joe Burns at second slip to leave the Blues 3-16 in the 10th over.
The Bulls sit atop the Shield ladder after winning their opening match while NSW suffered a first-up defeat.
Debutant shines for Redbacks
A hard-hitting half-century from debutant Ben Manenti has revived South Australia’s winning hopes against Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield.
The Redbacks are 219 runs ahead with two second-innings wickets remaining at tea on day three after Manenti’s knock rescued the home side at Adelaide Oval.
After making 59 in the first innings, No.9 Manenti struck six fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 73 from 81 balls.
The feats of the Sydney-born 25-year-old helped SA recover from 7-105 to reach 8-238, with Manenti getting handy assistance from Wes Agar (33no) and Nathan McAndrew (35).
Tasmania’s veteran paceman Peter Siddle earlier ripped through SA’s top order – at one stage, he had 4-13 from eight overs.
The 37-year-old has 4-45, following his 4-51 in the first innings.
Siddle counted the prized scalp of Test batsman Travis Head, caught at short leg for a duck, among his victims.
Beau Webster (3-35) chipped in while opener Jake Weatherald was the seventh man out, making 52 from 115 balls.