5 Things that can help Australia defend their World Cup title in 2019

The Newlands Scandal has put Australian cricket in debacles, 2ith Australia's best batsmen - Steven Smith and David Warner - getting banned for one complete year owing to their involvement in the ball tampering scandal.

Ever since then, Cricket Australia has been in the rebuilding state. Tim Paine was appointed the captain for the betterment of the team. The team has played six ODIs ever since then and lost all of them which clearly depicts the state the team is in. Their T20I record isn't impressive either, losing six out of their last 10 games.

With the World Cup-2019 not too far away it is time for the CA to hit the panic button before it's too late. Here are the five potential steps that can help Australia defend their trophy.

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#1 Focusing on their strengths

Australian fast bowlers

Australia's eternal strength has been their fast bowling unit. Australia has one of the best fast bowling units in the world in the form of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Andrew Tye. These five deadly fast bowlers can give any batsman run for their money with their variations, pace and bounce.

Cricket Australia has to focus on their fast bowling department for one primary reason that the conditions of England support the fast bowlers. However, the Australian fast bowlers are injury prone and them being fit should be the no.1 priority for CA now.

The Kangaroos need to have proper reserves like Jason Behrendorff or Jhye Richardson just in case something threatening happens to the first grade fast bowlers. On pitches suiting the fast bowlers these fiery bowlers can cause havoc and send chills through the spine of the opposition batsmen.

#2 David Warner and Steven Smith's comeback

Australia 's best batsmen

There is news circulating that Australia's chief governing body Cricket Australia is considering to lift the ban on both these greats of the game. The ACA (Australian Cricketers Association) has been demanding the CA to consider lifting the ban.

There are reports stating that the banned trio will be back in action against India later this month. If that is the case, then Australian cricket will be back to its possible best. Both David Warner and Steven Smith have been playing club cricket and the Canadian T20 League.

David Warner still seems to be continuing his top form as he scored two consecutive hundreds in club cricket. However, both these batsmen will need some international exposure before stepping into the World Cup as they've been away from International cricket arena for more than seven months now and it is the right time for Cricket Australia to lift the ban.

#3 Doing away with too many aggressive and non-temperamental batsmen

Australia 's pinch-hitters

Having aggressive batsmen is an added advantage to any side as they can boost the run-rate in quick time but at the same time having too many of them can be horrendous. Pinch hitters are a valuable asset to the team and make a quick change in the scoreboard.

They're usually used as a secret weapon to unleash at the right time and cause destruction in the middle. However, having too many of these players in the squad can affect the team combination. Australia has pinch-hitters in the form of Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell and to an extent Marcus Stoinis as well.

The problem with pinch-hitters is their inability to bat deep and long on regular occasions. They can create havoc when the team is in a good position but cannot rebuild the team when in difficulty. Having too many of T20 specialists is more a bane than a boon to the team. Australia need batsmen who can bat deep and long and build partnerships when the team is struggling for if their top order fails to fire, there should be someone who can take the team to a defendable total.

#4 Strategize better against wrist-spin

Plating against spin bowling has for long been the Achilles heel for Australian batsmen

It is quite evident that the foreign teams do struggle against quality spin bowling but the Australians seem to have no clue against the wrist spinners. In the last seventeen games that they've played, The Kangaroos scored 1057 runs at an average of 25.78 giving away as many as 41 wickets which boils down to giving two wickets to wrist spinners every game.

The batsmen need to strategize better against spin bowling if they intend to get the scoreboard ticking in the middle overs. It is the runs scored by the batsmen against the spinners that make the difference between a decent total and a threatening target. The Australians need to work on rotating the strike and using their feet against spinners than trying to hit them for boundaries.

Rotating the strike and using the feet disturbs the bowler's line and length which will force them to commit mistakes. So, it is the video analysts of the team who need to work better on building different strategies and help the batsmen tackle spin better.

#5 Going for the kill approach

Australia need to play aggressive cricket

Australians are famous for their aggressive brand of cricket. They try and attack the opposition and put them under pressure and reap the rewards. They try to put pressure with their attacking field positions and unconventional approach and it is high time that the current generation of Australian cricketers start believing in themselves to get back to where they were before.

Once they start playing the aggressive brand of cricket, things will start changing. The team cannot just wait for Warner and Smith to come back and set things rolling. They need to build a strong core team and a good bench; it will then be an added advantage if both their elite cricketers make a comeback.

The "in the face" approach is what makes Australians different from others and it is something that the new generation of players should believe if they want to stand a chance in defending their hard-earned World Cup title in 2015.