Published: Jan 24, 2016, 10:30 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 24, 2016, 11:40 PM (IST)
Sydney: Stand-in Australia coach Michael Di Venuto has asked his players to play their natural game in the Twenty20 International (T20I) series against India beginning January 26 and not to think too much about the impending team selection for the ICC World T20 2016. New players, including batsmen Chris Lynn, Travis Head and seamer Andrew Tye, must impress in the three-game T20 series against India starting in Adelaide to make Australia’s 15-man World T20 squad. Batting mentor Di Venuto will steer Australia in the T20 series after head coach Darren Lehmann was diagnosed to be suffering from Deep Vein Thrombosis. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs Australia 2015-16, 1st T20I at Adelaide
Di Venuto said Australia’s 17 hopefuls for World T20 ticket to India during March/April must remain true to their games and they should avoid audition ‘stagefright’.
“Obviously there is a big carrot at the end of this with the World Cup team being picked, and you can only pick 15 people so we want to give people opportunities to see what they can do,” Di Venuto said.
“If they’re thinking about the World Cup they are likely to go out there and get a bit of stage fright. They have to play exactly how they have been playing. T20 is all about expressing yourself, backing your ability and taking the game on,” he was quoted as saying in Daily Telegraph.
Brisbane Heat skipper Lynn was voted player of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2015-16 with 378 runs at 54.00. Home town duo — power hitter Head and reborn slinger Shaun Tait — will be let loose on Australia Day against India, indicated Di Venuto.
“He has had a tremendous BBL campaign and we are really excited to have him in the squad and see what he has got to offer,” said Di Venuto of Head.
“Taity bowls fast and we saw that in the BBL and is still knocking players over. If he can take early wickets that will be huge bonus.”
Di Venuto hoped the revamped T20 unit under Aaron Finch’s could gel together and nail a breakthrough World T20 title.
“We want to get a bit of momentum. We have some fantastic T20 players who perform well in all competitions but just have not performed as a team when we have got World Cups.”
