By India Blooms News Service Sep 01, 2022
Melbourne/IBNS: T20 star Tim David has stormed into Australias T20 World Cup squad on the back of a series of breathtaking performances in T20 leagues around the world.
Cricket Australia yesterday announced a 15-player squad to defend their World Cup title at home this October-November.
Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson was the only change from the group that won the 2021 tournament in the UAE.
In the last two years, David has amassed 1,874 runs at a phenomenal strike-rate of 168.40 in 86 T20 games and averages a boundary every 4.5 balls, and his strike-rate swells to 204.80 when batting between overs 16 and 20.
David entered the IPL after he was bought over by Mumbai Indians for a whooping Rs 8.25 crore at the auction last Feb. after the franchise took note of superb performance in Feb. during the Pakistan Super League where he smashed 278 runs at a strike-rate of 194.41.
The 26-year-old then followed up his IPL breakout season with a successful T20 Blast competition with Lancashire in England, smoking 405 runs at a strike-rate of 174.57.
Apart from batting, David bowls occasional right-arm off-breaks, and has taken 12 wickets from his 121 T20 games. He played one match for Tasmania in the 2021-22 Marsh One-Day Cup against Western Australia, taking 2-25 and hitting 36 off 23 balls.
However, he has not played a single first-class match, but only played 16 List A matches.
He has been very successful playing for Surrey in 2021 when he smoked two tons, averaging 68 with a strike-rate of 150.44.
David started his career with the Perth Scorchers but it wasnt until he moved to the Hobart Hurricanes for BBL 10 that he began to make a name for himself, impressing on Hobart debut with a 33-ball 58 against reigning champions Sydney Sixers.
Mitch Marsh, player of the final in last years T20 World Cup, retains his place despite returning to Perth on Tuesday with ankle soreness following Australias win over Zimbabwe in the first Dettol ODI.
Australias T20 World Cup begins on October 22 in Sydney with a trans-Tasman clash against New Zealand.
Australias T20 World Cup squad: Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (vc), Tim David, Aaron Finch (c), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
(With Uni Inputs)