Shane Warne has called for Usman Khawaja to be dropped from Australia’s World Cup team, doubling down on his endorsement of D’Arcy Short in the top-order instead.
Melbourne:
Short was last month named the Big Bash League’s Player of the Series for the second-consecutive year but there was no room for him in the first ODI against India.
Khawaja filled one of Australia’s opening spots instead, making 50 runs off 76 balls as the tourist went down by six wickets with ten balls remaining.
His opening partner, Aaron Finch, registered his fourth single figure score in his past seven ODIs. But it’s Khawaja on Warne’s chopping block as he tries to make room for Short and returning guns David Warner and Steve Smith.
Warne wrote on social media that Australia can win the World Cup “but they have to start picking the right players”.
He then picked his Australia World Cup XI, which started with Warner, Short, Finch and Smith in the top four.
Khawaja was shunned after making 164 runs at 41 in his past four ODI innings. Short made 77 runs at 38.50 in the two-match T20I series against India.
Warne added that Shaun Marsh should return when he is available, but didn’t mention who he would replace.
Warne then picked Glenn Maxwell at No.5, followed by all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and Alex Carey as wicketkeeper.
Pat Cummins was predictably a lock at No.8 followed by Mitchell Starc who Warne backed over Nathan Coulter-Nile despite being one of his strongest red-ball critics.
There was also no room for star paceman Josh Hazlewood, who Warne left out for young Tasmanian quick Riley Meredith.
Meredith impressed Warne with his pace in the BBL, in which he regularly bowled over 145km/h and occasionally tipped 150km/h. He took 16 wickets at 26.37 for the Hobart Hurricanes on its run to the semi-finals.
The 22-year-old was left out the last time Warne made his pick for Australia’s World Cup XI, but has since earned a promotion.
In that XI, there was no specialist spinner as Warne backed part-timers Maxwell, Short and Smith to fill the role. This time leg-spinner Adam Zampa was called up after taking 2-49 against India in the first ODI with an economy of 4.90.
Jason Behrendorff and Ashton Turner were Warne’s other omissions from Australia’s most recent ODI XI.
Warne also taunted former England captain Michael Vaughan, saying Australia could beat his nation in the UK with the right mix of players and a change in attitude.