Marnus Labuschagne gets the axe as Australian name World Cup 2023 squad; Pat Cummins to lead

Star batter Marnus Labuschagne will not be a part of the ODI World Cup later this year as he hasn't been named in Australia's 18-man preliminary squad for the showpiece event as well as for the ODI series against South Africa and India in the build-up.

Labuschagne hasn't been able to scale the heights of Test success in ODIs and that might be one of the main reasons why the Aussies have lost patience with him. In 30 ODIs, Labuschagne averages just a tad above 31 with six half-centuries and a century.

The five-time World Cup winners have also added a surprise element with naming two uncapped players in all-rounder Aaron Hardie and wrist-spinner Tanvir Sangha. The likes of Nathan Ellis and Cameron Green also get a nod, likely because of their success in the Indian conditions in the IPL.

As always, the Aussies have a number of all-round options to choose from, giving them enough depth needed in bowling as well as batting. David Warner and Steve Smith could be crucial to their chances of doing well as a batting unit, with Pat Cummins as a leader being another interesting factor to watch out for.

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George Bailey on Australia's World Cup squad

Former Australian cricketer and current chief selector George Bailey is happy with the balance of the squad and feels it has what it takes to win their sixth World Cup crown.

On this, he stated:

"This side has been extremely impressive for several years in limited-overs cricket. There is an enormous amount of skill and experience in the group, which you need in a World Cup."

Australia's World Cup squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

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