World Cup 2019: 3 players who can help Australia defend the title
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is all set to commence from the 30th of May 2019 in England, with the hosts squaring off against South Africa in the opening game of the tournament.
While all the teams boast of some quality players in their squad, the change in the format of the tournament is certain to add bring in some serious competition and with that unmatched entertainment all throughout the next six to seven weeks.
One of the strongest teams in this edition, Australia's chances in the World Cup will heavily rely on the alliance of David Warner and Steven Smith, with the two dashing batsmen proving to be an indispensable part of the Australian cricket team across all the formats.
Nonetheless, it is worthy to note that despite struggling in the recent past, Australia will certainly be backed to retain the title, with a series win against India and a comfortable win in the warm-up game against England bound to infuse some confidence into the team.
Here, we have a look at three players who can help Australia defend their title.
#3 Steve Smith
The former Australian skipper is back to playing international cricket post the ball-tampering saga and will have a pivotal role to play when it comes to performing in crunch situations and handling pressure in the middle.
One of the main factors that makes Smith a match-winner is his temperament and ability to back himself. Smith's patience while constructing an innings and ability to shift gears at will makes him one of the best batsmen in the world. In addition to that, his captaincy skills can also be of help to Aaron Finch to take bold decisions on the field.
Post the ban, he had an average IPL season with 319 runs at a strike rate of 116 while playing for the Rajasthan Royals. Smith made a return to Australian colors during the warm-up match against England and struck a fluent 147-ball 116, helping Australia to put up 297 on the board.
With form on his side, Smith will be a vital cog for Australia in the World Cup and could well be a key player to watch out for.