As Australia‘s ODI squad continues to impress in their series against England, coach Andrew McDonald has admitted that the selectors face a “good problem” ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025. With players like Alex Carey, Aaron Hardie, and Glenn Maxwell showcasing their skills, the competition for spots in the team is heating up.
Carey’s Stunning Return
Alex Carey, who was dropped from the ODI side during last year’s World Cup, has made a remarkable comeback in the ongoing series against England. Filling in for the injured Josh Inglis, Carey has scored back-to-back impressive knocks of 74 and 77 not out, rescuing Australia from precarious positions to post-competitive totals.
Following his Player of the Match performance in the second ODI, Carey expressed his excitement about returning to the team: “I’ve sat on the bench for the last little period for the Australian team in ODIs, and it’s nice to get back out there. An opportunity popped up; who knows how long it will last, but I’ve had great fun.”
McDonald acknowledged that Carey’s performances have made the selectors’ jobs harder. “It’s always a good problem to have when you’ve got people competing for spots within your team,” he said. “Unfortunately, Josh was injured in the T20 series, and Alex has jumped into that spot and done incredibly well.”
Inglis’ Fitness Battle
Josh Inglis, who was the incumbent wicketkeeper before his injury, is still recovering from a quad complaint suffered in the second T20I against England. McDonald suggested that both Carey and Inglis could potentially play in the same team, as they have done in the past. “It’s always something we will consider,” McDonald noted. “If you think back sort of 12 months ago, we had Ingo and Kez in the same team. So it’s quite possible.”
However, it seems less likely when all of Australia’s best players are fit and available. A more likely option would be Australia playing an extra allrounder to deepen the batting with Aaron Hardie, who put his name up for the role with an impressive 44 from 26 balls at the death to help lift Australia’s total above 300.
All-rounder Conundrum
The series against England has also highlighted Australia’s wealth of all-rounder options. McDonald emphasized that Hardie’s form adds to their options: “Aaron Hardie called into the team late, got some critical death hitting there to get us up to a total. He was definitely impressive today.”
Australia has been keen to experiment with an allrounder at No. 8 since McDonald took over as coach in 2022. However, they have consistently reverted to playing seven batters and four specialist bowlers, which was the model that won them the World Cup.
Tough Decisions Ahead
As Australia looks ahead to the Champions Trophy 2025, the selectors will have to make tough decisions on which players to include in the squad. With Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis also in contention, competition for spots is fierce.
McDonald acknowledged that while they are looking at different combinations, they need to balance their approach: “The counterpoint is that Australia’s allrounder-heavy attack can lack potency, no matter how many runs they score.”
He remains hopeful of having both Adam Zampa and Travis Head available for upcoming matches after illness swept through the camp. “It’s always a different team when Adam Zampa is not there,” McDonald stated. “He’s an incredible performer for us over a long period of time.”
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