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Defending champion of the ICC Cricket World Cup, Team Australia is the oldest team in world cricket, having played the first-ever Test match in the year 1877. The Australia World Cup squad is undoubtedly one of the strongest of all teams, and is poised to don the mantle of World Champions all over again. Australia have won the ICC Cricket World Cup three times – 1987, 1999 and 2003.
The Australian team were ranked on top of the LG ICC Player Rankings week after week. For more than five years, no team had been able to dethrone them from that position for a long time. However, their undoing came when New Zealand defeated them in three consecutive one-dayers, and the Aussies had to forego their place on the summit to South Africa.
For the Cricket World Cup, the Australian team is simply outstanding. It comprises some of the best players that have been nurtured all this while for this quadrennial extravaganza. The best of batsmen, bowlers, fielders and all-rounders have been included in the Australian team for ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
Headed by the inimitable Ricky Ponting, Team Australia has witnessed victories galore. Their win percentage is the best amongst all world teams. They recently won the biennial ICC Champions Trophy, or the mini World Cup, held in India in October 2006.
The crowning glory for Team Australia came when they annihilated England 5-0 in the Ashes Series held in Australia in the end of 2006, to avenge bitter memories of their Ashes loss to England the year before.
The Australian team for ICC Cricket World Cup looks all set to carry its superb form into the tournament and will give the other teams a tough time on field.
However, it will surely miss the services of stalwarts like Shane Warne, the best spinner in the world, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn, who announced their retirement from world cricket post Ashes 2006. Brett Lee, who has been rendered indisposed because of an ankle injury, will also be badly missed.
Over the years, these men have been instrumental in shaping Team Australian into an undefeatable squad in both forms of the game. Their absence is sure to dampen spirits of the fairly young and inexperienced Australian squad for Cricket World Cup. .
Almost all the regular players like Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Brad Hogg, etc, find mention in the Australian squad for ICC Cricket World Cup. Shaun Tait, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin have been the major surprises in this team. The onus is now on these players to prove their mettle in a tournament of such magnitude.
The following is the Australia World Cup Squad: |
Ricky Ponting (C)
Nathan Bracken
Michael Clarke
Adam Gilchrist (Wk)
Brad Haddin (Wk)
Matthew Hayden
Brad Hodge
Brad Hogg
Michael Hussey
Brett Lee
Glenn McGrath
Andrew Symonds
Shaun Tait
Shane Watson
Mitchell Johnson
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