4 players born outside Australia who have been picked in Australian squad for WTC final 2023
The WTC final 2023 will begin on Wednesday, June 7, in London, where tabletoppers of this World Test Championship cycle, Australia, will take on last edition's finalists India. Both teams have made it to the summit clash after playing some fine cricket in the first round of this competition.
India made it to the final in 2021 as well, where Australia's neighbors New Zealand defeated them to become the inaugural World Test Championship winners. Notably, the Kiwi team for the WTC final 2021 had multiple players born outside New Zealand.
Even Australia have named four players born outside Australia in their squad for the WTC final 2023 against India. Here's a list of the four names.
#1 Usman Khawaja - Born in Pakistan
Australia's opening batter Usman Khawaja was born in Pakistan. The left-handed batter's hometown is Islamabad. He moved to Australia when he was young and debuted for the Aussies in the 2011 New Year's Test match against England.
Since then, Khawaja has seen many ups and downs in his international career, but he is in the best form of his life right now. The left-handed batter has been unstoppable in Test cricket over the last few months. Even in the recent Test series against India, he played a magnificent knock of 180 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
India will have to dismiss Khawaja early in both innings to give themselves the upper hand in the WTC final 2023.
#2 Marnus Labuschagne - Born in South Africa
Marcus Labuschagne is another top batter of the Aussie team who was born outside Australia. The 28-year-old batter is from North West Province, South Africa. He made his Test debut for Australia against Pakistan in 2018.
Like Khawaja, Labuschagne has witnessed ups and downs in his career, but he has been at the top of his game in the last two series. Labuschagne recently turned up for Glamorgan in county cricket. He hit two centuries in his last three games for Glamorgan.
#3 Michael Neser - Born in South Africa
Another South Africa-born player who is present in the Australian squad for the WTC final 2023 is Michael Neser. The 33-year-old bowling all-rounder was born in Pretoria, South Africa.
Neser was not named in the squad initially but he came in as a replacement for the injured Josh Hazlewood. He has played only two Tests and two ODIs for Australia. Even he was playing county cricket for Glamorgan this year, where he took a seven-wicket haul against Yorkshire.
#4 Josh Inglis - Born in England
While Kennington Oval will be a neutral venue for almost all players in the WTC final 2023, it will be a home match for Australia's wicket-keeper Josh Inglis. He was born in Leeds, England, before relocating to Australia at the age of 14.
Inglis is yet to play a Test for Australia, but he has been picked in the squad for the big game against India. The 28-year-old wicket-keeper batter has represented Australia in three ODIs and nine T20Is thus far in his international career.