Search

show me:

Aussies face big wait on World Cup rebound

3 minute read

Australia will have a six-month gap between one-day games for just the second time this century as they begin to look at the 2023 World Cup.

Head coach JUSTIN LANGER looks on during the International Twenty20 match between Australia and Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia.
Head coach JUSTIN LANGER looks on during the International Twenty20 match between Australia and Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia. Picture: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images

Australia will have to wait six months before turning their on-field attention to the next World Cup as they face their biggest one-day break in more than five years.

The Aussies' next one-day match isn't scheduled until January 14 in Mumbai, with no one-dayers at the start of the home summer.

The gap will mark the first time the team has gone half a year without one-day cricket since early 2014, and only the second time this century.

Australia's brains trust will, however, at least start dissecting the tournament away from the field, with the next World Cup in India.

There's no doubt Australia's uncertainty over their tactical approach in the years leading up to 2019 left them behind the pack, before Justin Langer took full charge last year.

Langer has also shown interest in how England's revolutionised their one-day cricket in the past four years, noticeably with their pick-and-stick approach.

It's telling that as England developed their strategy they used 34 players in 88 games between World Cups, while the Aussies' used 45 in 76 matches.

"The big turn around in our fortunes over the past six months was we got really clear in what our plan was and the way we were going to play," Langer said.

"That's one of the things (England and Perth Scorchers allrounder) David Willey told me, that was the squad they were going to stick with.

"You build up for that."

Australia's white-ball focus will now quickly shift to the Twenty20 format.

There are six T20 internationals at home this summer, before the country host the shortest-version World Cup next October and November.

"We've got lots of other competitions and really good goals to achieve," Langer said.

"We're coming from a certain level. We've had some improvements but we've still got plenty of improvements to make."

Meanwhile, Langer conceded Australia's middle-order players Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis would both be unhappy with their World Cups.

Maxwell scored just 177 runs at 22.10 and Stoinis' return was even worse with 87 runs at 14.50, although he took seven wickets at 34.85 apiece.

Both again failed to deliver in the semi-final loss to England after questions over Maxwell's selection and Stoinis' availability.

"They would both be really disappointed for their whole World Cup, won't they?" Langer said of the pair.

"They were working really hard, they were giving their best shot.

"Sometimes when your confidence is down a bit, it's not just something where you can flick a switch and be back firing."

However, they weren't alone against England as Aaron Finch, David Warner and Mitchell Starc all had off days after big tournaments.

Langer also lamented the absence of Usman Khawaja in the semi-final through a hamstring injury, given he was unable to steady the ship during the collapse.

"He was a big loss," Langer said.

"We picked him specifically for days like (Thursday) when you lose an early wicket and you want your Test No.3 who can score hundreds."

Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au