Aussie coach Justin Langer faces selection dilemma

Australian cricket coach Justin Langer has admitted that some players will be “brutally unlucky” when he announces his 15-man squad that will travel to England to play in this year’s Cricket World Cup.

The defending champions will have to name their 15-man squad for the tournament this month and will be able to recall Steve Smith and David Warner, who have served one-year bans for ball-tampering during a test match against South Africa in early 2018.

Just a few months ago, the Aussies were looking weak and not many expected that they would be contenders for the World Cup this year. However, Langer’s charges are currently on an eight-match unbeaten streak, which includes a recent 5-0 ODI series whitewash over Pakistan. They are strong contenders now to retain the trophy they claimed in 2015 and have dominated since the start of the century.

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The only side apart from Australia to win the 50-overs World Cup this century was India, who did so in the sub-continent in 2011. Skipper Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja have both been in good form at the top of the order. Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb and Glenn Maxwell have all also been solid with the bat.

Warner has been in fantastic form in the Indian Premier League so far this season, scoring a century from 55 balls recently for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and it would be surprising if he does not open the batting for his country during their World Cup opener against Afghanistan.

“It’s actually becoming more obvious by the day to me. The same with the other selectors,” Langer said while speaking about the selection dilemma on the Cricket Australia website.

“We know categorically there are going to be one or two guys brutally unlucky not to get selected because they’re all going so well… the blokes in the squad at the moment will be praying it’s not them.”