5 Australian players to watch out for in the T20 and ODI series against England

The England vs Australia limited-overs series will start on September 4th with a T20 match in Southampton. The Aussie team will play 3 T20Is and the same number of ODIs in their short tour of England.

It will be the first international series post-COVID for Australia in any format, while England has enjoyed some match time with two white-ball series against Ireland and Pakistan recently.

The Australian team under Aaron Finch has been in fine form in the shortest format, where they have won their last four T20I series. On the other hand, they have been hot and cold in 50-overs cricket after the World Cup in 2019.

All eyes will be on some of the key players of the Australian team, who will be in action after a break of 5-months. In this article, we look at 5 Australian players to watch out for in the series against England.

#5 Adam Zampa

Adam Zampa will be lethal in the used pitches of England.

It’s not easy to make a name as a wrist spinner in a country dominated by great fast bowlers. After Shane Warne, Australia hasn't had an equally successful wrist spinner.

Adam Zampa, however, has managed to make a unique identity of his own over the years. He has been a regular feature in white-ball cricket for the Aussies in the last 2-3 years.

In terms of recent form, Zampa is having a great 2020 so far, picking up 10 wickets in ODIs and 5 wickets in T20Is. His economy rate is impressive at 4.97 and 5.89 in ODIs and T20Is respectively.

The pitches of Southampton and Manchester, where Australia will play their T20 and ODI matches, have been used frequently in recent times. So the pitch conditions are expected to assist the spinners and Zampa could prove to be lethal in such circumstances.

#4 David Warner

David Warner will be crucial at the top of the Australian batting line-up.

David Warner has been in superb form since his comeback from suspension in 2019. Warner had some trouble in red-ball cricket, especially in the 2019 Ashes series, but none of it has shown in the shorter format.

The 33-year-old was on a smashing run before the halt in action due to COVID-19. Warner has scored two half-centuries in three T20Is in the year 2020 and has been averaging 46.17 in ODIs.

Warner along with Finch is a mainstay of the Australian top order and will be key to their success on the tour.

#3 Mitchell Starc

A bulked-up Mitchell Starc will be looking to get the speed guns up.

Mitchell Starc has been relatively quiet since a staggering World Cup performance in 2019, where he picked up 27 wickets in just 10 matches. A long break like this could have been very useful for the fast bowler and he will be raring to go in full swing for Australia.

The 30-year-old is one of the best white-ball bowlers in the world and his inswinging yorkers are a nightmare for any batsman. In the extended time off, Starc has built some extra muscle mass and is looking to bowl at very high speeds on the tour.

Starc went wicketless in the only ODI he played this year. In T20Is, he has picked up 3 wickets in the same number of matches.

#2 Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell will be raring to go in his comeback into international cricket.

Glenn Maxwell’s last ODI match was the semi-final defeat in the 2019 World Cup and his last T20I was in October. He shocked the cricketing world by taking a break from cricket to focus on his mental health in October 2019.

Maxwell returned to cricket in the Big Bash League 2019-20 and had a smashing run in the tournament. He helped his team Melbourne Stars reach the final of the tournament with his all-round performances. Maxwell took 10 wickets in 16 matches and scored 398 runs with the bat.

The 31-year-old’s last international knock for Australia, before taking a break from cricket, was his 62 off 28 balls against Sri Lanka.

In a warm-up match ahead of the England series, Maxwell smashed a century in a 50-over game. So the Big Show’s return to international cricket will be one to watch out for in the upcoming series.

#1 Marcus Stoinis

Marcus Stoinis will want to continue his Big Bash form into international cricket.

Before the start of 2020, Marcus Stoinis’ name in a 'players to watch out for' list would have been astonishing, as he has never really blossomed in international cricket.

But the Big Bash League 2019-20 changed the Australian's image and he is now one of the most sought after names in white-ball cricket. Stoinis found a new role as the opener in the Melbourne Stars and took the tournament by storm.

The 31-year-old was the player of the tournament in the Big Bash League and ended up being the highest run-getter with 705 runs. Stoinis also slammed the highest individual score in BBL history when he made a 79-ball 147.

As a result, the Australian selectors had to pick him for the England tour and the all-rounder will be looking to make the most of this opportunty. Stoinis has already shown glimpses of his form in England in a warm-up match where he made 87 with the bat and took 4 wickets with the ball.