Smith, back-up pacer and other questions Australia need to answer in New Zealand T20Is

Steven Smith's role in Australia's T20I side has been diminishing in recent years. In 2019-20 when Australia were the No. 1 ranked T20I side he was locked in at No. 3. In the 2021 T20 World Cup triumph he was shifted to a floating No. 4, behind Mitchell Marsh, who would only bat there if Australia lost powerplay wickets. He lost his place from the first-choice XI for the 2022 T20 World Cup when Australia opted to promote Glenn Maxwell to No. 4 and select Tim David at No. 6, with Smith only playing the final game when Aaron Finch and David were injured. He has only played twice for Australia in the format since. He was supposed to get the opportunity to open in a series in South Africa last year but suffered a wrist injury then played the first two games of a five-match series in India but was clearly fatigued and went home to rest from the final three.

Australia's first-choice top three looks fairly settled with the ballistic Travis Head likely to open alongside David Warner with Marsh at No. 3. Australia will want to replicate their powerplay pyrotechnics from the ODI World Cup. Smith can't match Head's aggression as he has only struck at more than 146 once in his last 21 T20I innings, and there is an expectation that anchors are going to be rendered obsolete in this World Cup.

There will be those questioning how he is even playing in this series against New Zealand, let alone be in the frame for the World Cup when someone like Matthew Short could be given a chance at the top. The issue is that Smith has outperformed Short at BBL level in the last two seasons, even though Short has been player of the tournament for two seasons running. The sample size is small, but Smith has two hundreds and two fifties from seven innings, averaging 67.83 and striking at 168.87 opening the batting for Sydney Sixers. Short has one hundred in 25 innings for Adelaide Strikers, averaging 45.40 and striking at 149.10. Smith's career BBL record is far superior to Short's, highlighting the difficulty for the selectors of rewarding BBL performances when Australia's Test players don't get to play.

There is one other factor in Smith's favour. Whilst the World Cup could be a power-hitting bonanza, which would play against Smith's inclusion in Australia's final 15, there is always the possibility that a knockout game is played on a worn, spinning surface. Smith's prowess against spin at the top of the order in a low-scoring game could be a valuable resource. He will get an opportunity in very different conditions in New Zealand. What he will need to show is an ability to go up the gears, like he has done at BBL level, to prove he can be an asset in more scenarios than just low-scoring scraps on spinning tracks.

Australia's middle-order has long been a weak point in T20I cricket but it has become a strength in the last three years with the axis of Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David and Matthew Wade proving a very versatile and powerful combination in a multitude of different scenarios.

Stoinis' injury is untimely, and his injury history would have the selectors wary going into a World Cup. Many have conflated his underwhelming batting form in ODI cricket with his T20I place, but he has been very consistent for Australia in the shortest form and his bowling has become invaluable. Taking him out of the middle-order, even temporarily, disrupts Australia's balance.

Maxwell will be Australia's first-choice fifth bowler in spinning conditions but Stoinis is a vital sixth option if an opponent collars Maxwell or Australia's quicks in the powerplay on a slow surface. Stoinis' cutters and changes of pace are crafty. If he's not there, that role falls to Marsh, who is not as skilled, and Head's offspin is the only other option.

Josh Inglis will be in Australia's World Cup squad as the second wicketkeeper and a versatile back-up batter. His skill against spin would mean he is an easy option to slide into No. 5 and could even be a better batting option than Stoinis in certain conditions against opponents with high-quality spinners. But that robs Australia of a bowler. The other option to strengthen Australia's batting against spin is to play Inglis instead of Wade and rejig the order slightly with David moving lower. That may happen in game one against New Zealand in Wellington with Wade missing on paternity leave. But Wade is Marsh's vice-captain and his presence at No. 7 is highly valued

He has proven the ability to get either 41 off 17 or 7 off 3 depending on what is required. He is one of Australia's best death overs pace-hitters and the only left-handed batter outside of Warner and Head.

Short gets the chance to push their case in New Zealand as a back-up allrounder in that middle-order, especially with Aaron Hardie also ruled out. But he does not have much experience in the specialised role and although New Zealand may provide him with chances, it will be very different to the conditions and pressure of a World Cup in the Caribbean. The only other allrounder in the mix for the World Cup is Cameron Green. But he is not in New Zealand with the selectors preferring him to focus on his Test preparations. He will have to prove his case in the IPL and like the other two, is better suited to batting up the order.

Australia will go to the well for a fourth straight limited-overs World Cup with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc as their first-choice pace trio in a four-man attack alongside Adam Zampa. But it's worth remembering that Cummins and Starc have not played a T20I since the 2022 World Cup when Starc was dropped for the final game.

Nathan Ellis is the fourth quick chosen on the tour of New Zealand and has edged ahead of Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff and Spencer Johnson as the fourth option for the World Cup although Johnson has been called into the squad after Stoinis and Hardie were withdrawn. Death bowling in New Zealand is as difficult as it gets, and he will get the chance to cement his place although he will also have a full IPL with Punjab Kings in conditions that are far closer to what Australia will face at the World Cup.

Based on Australia's last two World Cup triumphs in the T20 version in the UAE and the 50-over version in India, the answer is no. Zampa has been the main spinner and Maxwell the second option. Head also chipped in with vital wickets in the ODI World Cup semi-final. But the pitches in the Caribbean can sometimes spin even more than the UAE or India.

The chair of selectors George Bailey did state on record recently that a second spinner would travel to the World Cup. The question for the selectors is then, do they carry a spare spinner in the 15 on the off chance they need to play two in the same side? Or do they do what they did in India and carry a 16th travelling reserve in case Zampa gets injured? The problem is each equation potentially requires a different player.

Tanveer Sangha was Zampa's reserve in India as the 16th player who could only play if Zampa was ruled out of the tournament. But they won't want to play two legspinners in the same XI. If they wanted a second spinner in the XI, then left-arm orthodox Ashton Agar comes back into the mix.

The problem for Agar and Sangha is neither will get any cricket between now and the Caribbean, as neither were selected for New Zealand. Both have one 50-over Marsh Cup final to play in the domestic summer and neither are involved in the IPL.