Marsh reveals Australia's preferred top six for ODI World Cup ahead of England series

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 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.According to Cricinfo, the first ODI against England in Perth on Friday will offer a glimpse of Australia's potential World Cup combination, with Marsh, Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Matt Renshaw, Josh Inglis and Cameron Green expected to occupy the top six positions.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.

Marsh backs Australia's preferred batting combination

Marsh expressed confidence in the current batting group, suggesting that the players selected for the England series are likely to form the backbone of Australia's World Cup plans."We've got a batting line-up that I see being at that World Cup, and it's sort of where we end up," Marsh said ahead of the ODI series, as quoted by Cricinfo.

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. 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.

Australia rest senior fast bowlers ahead of England series

While Australia are looking to settle their batting combination, their bowling attack will be without some of its biggest names for the series.

Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc have been rested as they prepare for the upcoming Test assignments, providing an opportunity for the younger fast bowlers to make an impression.One of the players set to benefit is Western Australian pacer Mahli Beardman, who has been confirmed to make his international debut in the opening ODI in Perth.

Marsh backed the young fast bowler's ability and expressed excitement about seeing him make his international debut on home soil."Easy one for me being West Australian. He [Beardman] is straight in. He's an amazing talent. He's a ripping young kid. For a young kid, he really understands his game early on," Marsh said.Australia and England will begin their three-match ODI series in Perth on Friday. The second match will be played in Adelaide, followed by the series finale in Hobart.