The Australian cricket team would be banking on Steve Smith to do the bulk of scoring in the absence of Travis Head. Travis Head is ruled out of the half of the tournament due to a fractured hand. Steve Smith has the knack of playing the waiting game as well which is priceless in modern cricket.
The experienced duo of Steve Smith & David Warner will have to guide the batters in the middle overs phase as the middle order possesses a lot of pinch hitters which can be a concern against the spinners. All eyes will be on Cameron Green, the flamboyant all-rounder is tipped to be the next big thing in World Cricket.
Steve Smith could be pivotal- Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist was having an interaction with cricket.com.au. Adam Gilchrist made a statement that Steve Smith can be pivotal and said that Smith is someone who can construct the innings and termed Steve Smith as a craftsman. Adam Gilchrist pointed out that Steve Smith is going to be invaluable in the ODI WC 2023.
“I think Steve Smith can have a really big tournament. He could be pivotal, where he comes in — if it’s around No. 4 or 5. There’s a possibility he could even be at the top of the order, although it looks like Travis Head and Davey will be doing that job,” said Adam Gilchrist.
“Fifty over cricket’s still got a lot of time where you can work through a tough period, build an innings and accelerate at the end. That’s Smith’s forte, to build and construct innings. He’s a craftsman. I think that’s going to be a valuable skill and asset to have over there,” he added.
Australia: A Team to Beat
The peculiarity of Australia is that they have got ‘n’ match winners present in the team in the form of Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis & Green which makes them a dangerous unit in the competition. Glenn Maxwell’s role would be pivotal as he is a part of glorious ODI WC 2015.
The pace trio of Starc, Cummins & Hazlewood will have to make sure that they provide initial breakthroughs and break the back of India’s batting line up. Skipper Cummins will have to manage his workload in the long competition as it looks unlikely that he will play all the league 9 matches.