ICC World Cup 2019: 5 Australian players who have practically sealed their spot in the squad

The 12th edition of ICC Cricket World Cup is scheduled to begin on 30 May 2019 and conclude on 14 July 2019. England and Wales are the hosts of the spectacular tournament, and the hosts look like the favorites to conquer the trophy.

Australia, the defending champions, are also in contention. The interesting thing about the Aussies is that they started the year 2019 in dismal fashion but regained form in the subsequent months. They tasted commendable success during their Asian tour.

Australia had series victories against both India and Pakistan while they toured the respective nations. Their captain Aaron Finch, who looked to be out of touch, roared back into form in the two series.

Australian supporters will definitely have had their hopes lifted as the team suddenly has a lot of momentum heading into the World Cup. With Steve Smith and David Warner probably returning to the squad too, the team looks solid and world-class.

The Aussie selectors are yet to announce their World Cup squad. There appears to be a selection headache as most of the players have performed well in the recent past. However, despite all the headaches, these five players have pretty much sealed their spot in the World Cup squad already.

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#5 Adam Zampa

Adam Zampa

The Australian team is expected to have two spinners in the World Cup squad. While the experienced Nathan Lyon looks like a pretty obvious option, the other is likely to be Adam Zampa.

The young leg-spinner finds himself in very good form. In the recent ODI series against Pakistan, Zampa took 7 wickets in 5 matches; he was the highest wicket-taker for Australia in the series along with Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Against India, Zampa took 11 wickets in the 5 match ODI series.

Both the Asian tours provided opportunities for Zampa and he grabbed them with both hands, thereby making a major statement. Expect to see Adam Zampa making his first ever World Cup appearance during the 2019 tournament.

#4 Usman Khawaja

Usman Khawaja

Usman Khawaja not being picked for the World Cup squad would be hugely surprising. There is a small possibility of that with Warner's return, but most would agree that dropping Khawaja wouldn't be a prudent decision.

Khawaja proved himself in the recent Asian tours as a reliable batsman. The southpaw showed his class against India by top-scoring for the Aussie side. He notched up 383 runs in 5 ODI matches with an average of 76.60 and two centuries.

It should be noted that Khawaja scored more runs than the Indian captain Virat Kohli in the ODI series.

In the Pakistan series that followed, Khawaja scored 272 runs in 5 matches. He scored three half-centuries in the series. In the final ODI of the series, Khawaja missed a century by just two runs.

The Australian batsman may find himself as a backup option in the presence of another left-handed opening batsman, Warner. However, it would only be fair for him to play as a regular opener, with either Finch or Warner batting down the order.

#3 Marcus Stoinis

Marcus Stoinis

As of now, it looks like Marcus Stoinis had sealed his spot in the World Cup playing XI. There are only a few all-rounders like Stoinis, and he has pretty much proved himself through his standout performances in the recent past.

Stoinis was exceptional as an all-rounder during the Big Bash League 2018-19. He scored 533 runs in 13 matches and took 14 wickets in 11 innings. However, a thumb injury on Australia's tour of India restricted his subsequent engagements.

With more than 900 ODI runs to his name and 20+ wickets, Stoinis looks like a dependable all-rounder. The only person who is capable of giving him competition is Mitchell Marsh. However, being injury prone, Marsh has not earned the trust of the management.

Given the fact that Australia won both the recent Asian tours without his involvement, it is unlikely that Marsh would be considered ahead of Stoinis, who has been receiving constant opportunities before the World Cup.

#2 Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell will most likely feature in the World Cup playing XI. With years of experience and maturity, Maxwell certainly deserves a spot. And he is also enjoying a purple patch of late.

Maxwell led his team Melbourne Stars to a runner-up finish in BBL 2018-19. He also top scored during the two-match T20I series on Australia's tour of India, where his 169 runs played a crucial role in Australia winning the series. Additionally, he scored three half-centuries at UAE against Pakistan.

A quickfire cameo from Maxwell is good enough to help the Australian team post a big total or chase a heavy target. His leadership capabilities would also be useful during the World Cup.

Maxwell is one of the stars who played in the 2015 World Cup. His experience in the trophy-winning campaign will undoubtedly be given added importance by the selectors too.

#1 Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch initially struggled to adjust as a limited-overs captain after the banishment of Smith and Warner. He was very unconvincing as both captain and batsman, and many experts even opined that he might not make it to the World Cup.

During Australia's tour of India, the legendary spinner Shane Warne said: "At the moment, he (Finch) probably only has a game or two left."

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell also had concerns about Finch's form. "It's a hell of a headache for the selectors," Chappell told Wide World of Sports. "But you have to think about what is worse - dropping him now or dropping him in the middle of the World Cup?"

Finch, however, got his groove back while the team toured Asia. He looked like a strong leader with two consecutive successes. His captaincy in India was dominating, as he took the team to a T20I series whitewash. He also won the ODI series that followed.

The Australian captain gave yet another whitewash to Pakistan in the subsequent ODI series. Finch scored 451 runs in just 5 innings during the UAE tour, which included two centuries.

Finch's 2015 World Cup experience and his recent performances make his case fairly strong to lead the side from the front.

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What other players do you expect to see in the Australian World Cup squad? Let us know in the comments section below.