Tim David, Australia’s T20 specialist, has earned his first call-up to the ODI squad after his explosive performance in Thursday’s first T20I against South Africa. David scored 64 off 28 balls, including four sixes.
His addition to the ODI squad is a result of the absences of Steve Smith (wrist injury) and Glenn Maxwell (ankle injury and impending birth of his first child), who will not play in the South Africa series. The two players have been named to Australia’s preliminary World Cup squad and are expected to play in the three-match ODI series against India next month.
Australia ODI squad:
Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Tanveer Sangha, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
David, 27, has not participated in a List A match in nearly two years and has yet to make his ODI debut. He has represented Singapore in five one-day matches in the past. Even though he is not in Australia’s preliminary World Cup squad, he will have a chance to demonstrate his worth in the forthcoming five-match series against South Africa.
David, one of the most potent batsmen in Twenty20 cricket, has appeared in 26 T20Is and 184 T20s, averaging over 163 runs. His impressive average of 123.14 includes two centuries and five fifties despite having played in only 16 List A matches.
David, who was a late addition to Australia’s squad for last year’s T20 World Cup, is expected to have a much more difficult time breaking into the 50-over World Cup squad, with Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, and Cameron Green already there, and Marnus Labuschagne and Josh Inglis competing for spots in the absence of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell.
“Tim is already here for the T20 series which offers an opportunity to see how his game can translate to the one-day format,” said selector Tony Dodemaide said. “He will provide an extra option for us in that power role at the back end of an innings.”
After the practice match, Mitchell Marsh, Australia’s stand-in captain, remarked, “The wonderful thing about Tim is that he is very level-headed. He is aware that his significance in T20 cricket can fluctuate. We have entire confidence in his capacity to win games, which is why he is on this team.
“I want him to play however he wants to play every game and I know that if he does that, he’ll win us games. He’s an outstanding asset for Australian cricket.”
