Following an underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign, Cricket Australia finds themselves at a crossroads. A number of the squad's players are in the twilight of their careers, with age, injury and inconsistent form creating headaches for the team.
While the likes of Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell and Mitch Marsh are still quality limited-overs cricketers, when the next T20 World Cup rolls around in 2024, they're unlikely to all be available for selection.
Finch has already retired from One Day Internationals and while he hasn't confirmed anything, it's difficult to imagine he'll be getting the call-up in 2024. Likewise Warner, who continues to hint at the possibility of retirement from some formats in the next 12 months.
Matthew Wade has also called it quits following the World Cup, signalling an end to his international career and a search for a new Wicket-keeper who can bat high in the order.
The T20 futures of Smith, Starc, Maxwell, Marsh and Marcus Stoinis are all murky following their patchy form during a ridiculously crowded fixture this season so far.
Anything is possible in sports, and as Usman Khawaja's spectacular Test renaissance showed last summer, form is temporary and class is permanent. The 2024 squad may well remain largely unchanged, such is the quality of these players.
However, underwhelming campaigns can also drive change, in which case, we may see several new faces make their mark in 2024. Cricket Australia is unlikely to want to make wholesale changes, yet with so much young talent waiting in the wings, they may be tempted to usher in a new era.
With that in mind, we take our best guess at what the starting eleven will look like at the next T20 World Cup in 2024.
Ben McDermott (WK)
Perhaps the toughest position to pick, McDermott narrowly edges out the Joshs (Inglis and Philippe) for the Wicket-keeper position. While he may not best the best pure gloveman of the group, his ability with the bat sees him get the nod.
McDermott hasn't yet fired for Australia, with a fairly poor average, however a top score of 53 shows he certainly belongs on the big stage. Should he continue to struggle however, Inglis would be the man to get the nod for this spot.
Cameron Green
The golden boy, he picks himself really. Green is on an incredible upward trajectory and it appears at this stage that the only issue for Australian selectors to worry about is fatigue. As close to a complete lock as there is.
Mitch Marsh
Perhaps, like Maxwell, a controversial choice, Marsh is 31 years of age and if form and injury permit it, he should still be a valuable player to Australia in the T20 format come 2024.
'The Bison' showed glimpses of his devastating best in the recent World Cup campaign and while he didn't quite catch fire in the same manner as in the UAE last year, his experience and ability should see him still in the team.
If Marsh is able to focus solely on batting to keep his body injury free, he could still be one of the world's most devastating hitters in a couple of years' time.
Jason Sangha
At 23 years of age and already captain of Sydney Thunder, Sangha is certainly one to watch for the future. Already very highly regarded, Sangha stamped himself as a star of the future in BBL|11 when he finished as the top run-scorer for the Thunder.
His haul of 445 runs at an average of 49.44 made him the fifth-highest scorer in the league for the season, while his strike rate in T20 of 124.1 is nothing to sneeze at. Should Sangha continue to develop at this pace, it's easy to see him lining up in the green and gold sooner rather than later.
Glenn Maxwell
Though Maxwell will be in his mid-thirties by the time the next campaign begins and may be a controversial choice, he is hard to leave out. If not for his sheer ability with the bat, then for his fielding, bowling and until recently, great injury record.
While he is likely to miss most of the Australian summer, a break may see a rejuvenated Maxwell return to his best in the white ball format. As one of the most vocal players regarding the overcrowded fixture lately, it may just be a blessing in disguise.
Tim David
Despite a quiet World Cup campaign, David is still just 26 years old and boasts a strike rate of just under 160, something the Australians will be keen to make the most of. A move up the order may provide the perfect opportunity for him to improve on his average of 37.
With the World Cup this year not going to plan for him, he may find added motivation to bounce back hard for the next one. We're backing him to do just that.
Aaron Hardie
While not as well known as his Western Australian teammate Cameron Green just yet, Aaron Hardie has been incredibly impressive over the past 12 to 18 months. The 23-year-old all-rounder announced himself by scoring 174 in the Sheffield Shield final to cap a stellar season.
His form at the finish of that campaign was so good he earned himself a call up to the Australia A team that toured Sri Lanka. A big summer in the BBL for the Scorchers could see him join his WA teammate Green in the Australian ranks.
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Should that be case and he continue his development at the same pace, the sky's the limit and a spot in the Australian T20 World Cup eleven awaits.
Pat Cummins
Despite being slightly out of form, Cummins is still one of the world's premier fast bowlers, if not the best. His class, leadership and ability with the bat all make him an automatic selection in this lineup.
His strike rate of 20.0 is decent and while he's not known for his big hauls in the T20 format, he is usually good for a wicket or two. At 30 years of age, he should still be in his prime come 2024.
Josh Hazlewood
As Australia's best bowler in the T20 format, Hazlewood is another walk up start. A strike rate of 15.9 and an average of 20.4 make him not only extremely dangerous, but economical in the explosive T20 format.
At 31 years old, Hazlewood still has plenty of time on his side and should still be at the peak of his career in 2024 when Australia try to regain their crown.
Jhye Richardson
Despite Mitchell Starc being one of the deadliest proponents of white ball swing in world cricket, being dropped for a crunch game in this recent campaign may have been an ominous sign of things to come.
With a place possibly available, Richardson appears the most likely to come in to replace Starc, given his pace and swing. The worry however is that he is a touch expensive and has had his issues with injury. If fit and firing however, he would be a deadly addition to the Australian pace attack.
Adam Zampa
While there are a few options to take the spinner position in this lineup, Zampa gets the nod on current form. He has developed into a quality white ball spinner in recent years, proving to be an economical option for the Aussies.
He's also become much more of a threat in that time, taking more wickets, with a best haul of 5/19 and a strike rate of 18.8, highlighting how dangerous he can be. Couple that with his ability to match it with some of the world's best, such as Virat Kohli, means that he gets the nod here.
Honourable mentions: The aforementioned Phillippe and Inglis are well in the frame for the wicket-keeper position should they start to hit their straps with the bat in the coming season. The position is perhaps the most difficult to call at this point in time.
Nathan Ellis is putting together a strong resume as a fast bowler that could see him leapfrog Richardson, while Sean Abbott would also have to be in the mix.
Ollie Davies, Will Sutherland, Jack Edwards, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Mackenzie Harvey are all names to watch in the coming 18 months. As highly-touted youngsters who are already playing BBL regularly, there's every chance one of them takes big strides in that time.
