Australia takes daring approach to Cricket World Cup squad

Australia has sprung a double surprise by including both Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne in their final squad for the Cricket World Cup.

The decision to include Labuschange from outside their preliminary squad and the injured Head means Australia will rely on just one front-line spinner – Adam Zampa.

Labuschagne has been the form Australian batsman in their lead-up matches against South Africa and India, and looks to have forced his way into the starting line-up for the World Cup.

Head will miss the start of the tournament with his fractured arm, but looms as as a handy inclusion for the pointy end of the tournament.

Australia is priced at $5 to win the World Cup, behind home team India ($3.50) and England ($4) with these odds available at most cricket bookmakers.

Selectors ultimately opted for Labuschagne over left-arm spinner Ashton Agar in the final 15-man team. With Head set to miss the initial segment of the tournament due to injury, the decision was swayed in favor of reinforcing the batting lineup rather than bringing in a second specialist spinner.

“There has been one change to the original preliminary squad of 15 announced a month ago with Marnus replacing Ashton,” selector George Bailey said.

“This was a tough call but unfortunately, we couldn’t carry both Travis and Ashton into the tournament with the injuries they have.”

Plans anticipate Head becoming available mid-tournament, which selectors hope will infuse positive momentum into the team’s campaign during crucial stages.

With Agar still recovering from a calf injury, leg-spinner Zampa will be the sole specialist spinner for Australia in conditions that traditionally favour spinners. All-rounder Glenn Maxwell is expected to step up as the secondary spinning option.

Maxwell’s recent performance, with a notable 4-40 in the final ODI warm-up against India, underscores his potential pivotal role for Australia in the upcoming World Cup.

The current strategy suggests Labuschagne will take the No. 4 batting spot in the initial group matches until Head’s return, which will likely result in the repositioning of both Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith in the lineup.

In terms of reserves, Matthew Short and Tanveer Sangha are on standby outside the official 15-man squad and may be called upon in case of injuries. Michael Neser is also being considered as a potential backup.

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