The T20 World Cup is the only major piece of achievement lacking from Australia’s trophy section but the hosts are preparing themselves very well to finish the drought next year, former wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist told Reuters.
Australia is the most successful side in the 50-over World Cup with five titles but is yet to achieve success in the shortest format’s showpiece event, held six times since its newly opening edition in 2007.
Aaron Finch’s side beat Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the recent back-to-back T20 series to remain unbeaten in the format in 2019, and Gilchrist said home situations would make Australia hard to beat when the World Cup starts next year.
In an interview, Gilchrist said, “They’ll love the situations, they love the ground, they’re bigger pitches, they’ll play them well. We got everyone available now, which is great. I think Australia is, certainly for the first time ever, concentrating on picking their best team regularly and not just for the World Cups.”
Australia won 2-0 in India in February before beating Sri Lanka and the world’s top-ranked T20 side Pakistan at home recently, and they are slated to play many matches in the shortest format before the next year’s tournament.
Gilchrist, who took retirement in 2008 after a stunning and marvelous career spanning almost 12 years, said Australia had enough time to prepare for the shortest format.
“I think they’re probably still working out whether to use two spin bowlers or one spin bowler and a batting all-rounder like Mitch Marsh or (Marcus) Stoinis,” he said after a promotional event in Mumbai for Tourism Western Australia.
