Last Updated on 3 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Tim David set to be picked in Australia T20 World Cup squad – reports | Australia set to pick Tim David for World Cup
Tim David can feature in Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup as an uncontracted freelancer on match payments, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Such an arrangement will provide David a greater bandwidth to participate in franchise leagues across the world whilst simultaneously representing Australia in the shortest format of international cricket.
A contract from Cricket Australia (CA) will be automatically placed in front of David only if he plays over 12 T20Is annually. There are parallels that can be drawn with respect to this situation both within and beyond Australian cricket.
For example, Trent Boult recently opted out of a contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for greater flexibility to feature in T20 tournaments across the world. Similarly, Kane Richardson and Matthew Wade are likely to find a place in the Australian squad for the T20 World Cup despite not having a CA contract in place.
Tim David expected to sign CA or state contract to feature for Australia
Upon signing a CA or state contract, David will be expected to train and play in Australia between September-April. He will have to seek the nod of the governing body to play in other franchise leagues during this time period. Otherwise, he is much more liberated to participate in other global T20 tournaments.
Australian selection chairman George Bailey had apparently expressed interest on including David in the national squad for the T20I series vs Sri Lanka in February this year.
However, the 26-year-old was instead allowed to participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in that window rather than being a spare batsman in the Aussie squad. His performances in the PSL led to his big-ticket acquisition by the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. David scored 186 runs at a strike rate of 218.28 in eight games in IPL 2022 and those performances strengthened voices calling for his immediate selection in the Australian T20I squad.
He is now reportedly closing in to seal a spot in the defending World T20 champions’ final 15. The aforementioned publication even quipped that David will be replacing leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson in the squad. The T20 powerhouse has contractual commitments in the IPL, PSL, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Hundred, the BBL and also the Abu Dhabi T10 league. He averages 32.48 with a strike rate of 164.12 in 121 T20s so far.
David is widely expected to uplift the Australian T20I side as he has proven his mettle in the format across the world. There are doubts over him fitting in appropriately in the playing XI that led the country to their maiden T20 World Cup victory last year. However, a place in the squad will be a good starter for the player as of now.
Australia will be playing a T20I series each against India, West Indies and England before kicking off their T20 World Cup campaign against New Zealand on 22nd October in Sydney.
ALSO READ: Why Australia must pick Tim David in their T20I squad
