Australian coach Andrew McDonald says his team could yet “carry” injured opened Travis Head through the early stages of the World Cup with his broken hand, conceding that despite not needing surgery he won‘t be available until the back-end of the tournament.
In the wake of Australia’s 122-run loss in the fifth and final ODI in South Africa, a third win in a row for the home team as they clinched the series, McDonald said the timeframe on Head’s recovery was “a bit loose” and he could yet be part of the tournament in India.
Australia has to confirm its 15-player squad by September 28 and Marnus Labuschagne looms as a “likely” in according to McDonald after making a mark against the Proteas.
Watch Australia’s Tour of South Africa on Kayo Sports. Every Match Live & On-Demand. Join Kayo now and start streaming instantly >
But McDonald didn’t rule out also still including Head for the tournament, which runs for nearly six weeks from October 5 through to the final on November 19, particularly the important games in the second half of the World Cup.
“The timeframe is still a little bit loose at the moment, but the good news is he doesn‘t require surgery as it sits at the moment,” McDonald said of Head’s injury.
“There’ll be an extended period of time out and we’ve just got to weigh up whether that time falls potentially with an option to carry him through the front half of the World Cup … so that’s a decision we’ll need to make in terms of the final 15.”
Head has formed a potent opening partnership with David Warner, passing 100 on four occasions as a pairing, with Mitch Marsh opening in his absence in the fifth game in South Africa.
Labuschagne, who was left out of the two provisional 15-man World Cup squads that have been named, and wasn’t even part of the South African tour originally, found a way in due to Steve Smith’s wrist injury and then as a concussion sub for Cameron Green, making scores of 80 not out and 124 in the first two ODIs.
Both Smith and Glenn Maxwell have been included for an upcoming three-match series against India before the World Cup, along with Labuschagne who earnt praise from McDonald for his reaction to being overlooked initially.
“I think he‘s made a significant shift in his intent at the crease and putting the bowlers under pressure from where he was potentially 12 months ago,” McDonald said.
“We know Marnus is a quality player, he probably didn’t have the 12-18 months he would have liked in one-day international cricket, but he’s come in and taken that opportunity, grabbed it with both hands and no doubt he’ll be front and centre when it comes to the 15-man squad.
“I can’t talk on behalf of the selection panel and lock him away for the World Cup (squad of) 15 but it’s no doubt looking likely.”
Australia played in South Africa without frontline bowlers Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, with the home side whacking their way to 9-315 in the final game before rolling the visitors for just 193 in 34.1 overs in a horror end to a tour that began with five straight wins across the T20s and ODIs.
But three successive losses have come by massive margins of 111 runs at Potchefstroom, 164 runs at Centurion and 122 runs at the Wanderers Bullring and included horrific batting collapses of 8-60, 5-67 and 8-69.
Frontline spinner Adam Zampa also conceded a record-equalling 113 runs in the fourth game.
The Australian team will look markedly different in India next week and again at the World Cup, but McDonald conceded they had some work to do.
“We can’t afford to expose our lower-order hitters at six and seven, where we do have some power down there, too early,” McDonald said.
“That happened a bit too often in this series.
“It‘s something we need to tighten up on.
“You can‘t win too many games of cricket if you’re getting exposed, four, five down before the halfway mark of the innings.”
Australia’s series against India starts in Mohali next week.