Team Australia (PTI Photo)
Australia have begun shaping their batting plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, with stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh identifying the top six he expects to form the core of the team’s campaign. With Australia not scheduled to play another ODI series until mid-2027, the upcoming three-match series against England will be an important opportunity for the team to build combinations ahead of the World Cup. Labuschagne was part of Australia’s 2023 ODI World Cup-winning squad but has endured a difficult run of form in recent months, which also saw him lose his place in the Test team.
The absence of Steven Smith , who no longer plays ODI cricket, and Marnus Labuschagne, who has not featured in the format since July, has also brought the current batting combination into sharper focus.
With limited opportunities to experiment in the format before the global tournament, Marsh indicated that the combination set to feature against England is likely to remain Australia’s preferred batting line-up.