3 Christmas Wishes for Australian Cricket Fans
Ho, ho, ho! It's been a rollercoaster year for the Australia cricket team with the soaring high of winning the 2015 ICC World Cup contrasting with the surprise loss to England in the Ashes.
But professional sport waits for no man and with a packed schedule booked in for the next year, including the Twenty20 World Cup, two trips to South Africa and a tour of New Zealand, the capability of Steve Smith's squad is going to be severely tested.
With that in mind, here are three wishes which Baggy Greens' fans will be hoping come true soon.
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3. A high-class all-rounder
Shane Watson has gone. Glenn Maxwell has fallen down the pecking order. Shaun Marsh seems too old to be a long-term fit and his younger brother Mitchell has yet to prove himself with the bat.
Yes, alongside the lump of coal and the satsuma in their Christmas stocking, Australia would be delighted to find a genuine Test-class all-rounder some time soon.
The presence of a genuine multi-skilled player obviously adds much needed balance to a side and opens up a variety of options, as England have utilised of late with Ben Stokes.
True, current incumbent Mitchell Marsh has the potential to secure the role full time and has produced some useful contributions so far, including taking eight wickets at just over 18 in the 2015 Ashes.
Although with just one half century in 19 Test innings and a first-class average of only 31.01, it's questionable whether his batting can justify a position in the top six.
However, as there doesn't appear to be anyone else on the periphery of the Australian team knocking on the door right now, it's Marsh's position to claim permanently.
2. Miracle return to health for Starc
One wish Baggy Greens skipper Smith would desperately like to see come true, is a rapid return to fitness for his premium paceman, Mitchell Starc, who broke his foot a few weeks ago.
While the Australian seam bowling unit had little trouble taking the West Indies apart in the recent Hobart Test, they could look one dimensional on a less conducive deck and against superior opposition.
Peter Siddle, Josh Hazelwood and James Pattinson all have their merits, but they are all similarly styled right-arm seamers.
Conversely, as well as bringing his sought after left-arm variation, Starc offers a high-calibre combination of pace—see the famous 100 mph ball at Perth—and lethal late swing.
The timing of Starc's injury, just after Mitchell Johnson's surprise retirement, couldn't have been worse and put an end to a prolific 2015 which saw him claim 46 wickets in 11 Tests at an average of just over 25.
The latest news, as reported by the Guardian, indicates the 25-year-old will undergo surgery shortly and is a major doubt for the Twenty20 World Cup in March.
Smith would surely sacrifice his haul of Christmas presents and then some to have the services of Starc back at his disposal for all formats of the game.
1. The big present you save until the end
Australia's biggest wish for the forthcoming year—one which will have both Smith and Darren Lehmann crossing their fingers and toes for—is also one that could easily come true.
Namely, to lift the ICC World T20 trophy in India.
In five editions since the competition came into life in 2007 in South Africa, somewhat surprisingly, the Australians have yet to get their name on the cup.
And while their campaign this time around has already been hampered by the likely absence of Starc, they have enough firepower to blow anyone away.
Equally, most of their likely starting XI have plenty of experience of playing in the Indian Premier League, which sets them in good stead for handling the conditions and the pressure of the situation.
Will this wish materialise? We'll find out in a few months' time. Happy Christmas!
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