GLOBETROTTIG T20 star, Tim David, has stormed into Australia’s T20 World Cup squad on the back of his big-hitting exploits on the franchise circuit.

Yesterday morning Australia revealed a 15-player squad to defend their World Cup title on home soil this October-November, and David’s selection over leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson was the only change from the group that won the 2021 tournament in the UAE.

The 15 will also travel to India in mid-September for a three-match T20I series, with the exception of David Warner, who will be rested, with Cameron Green taking his place.

David, who has born in Singapore to Australian parents before moving to Perth as a two-year-old, represented that country 14 times in T20 internationals in 2019-20, but under ICC rules is eligible to play for Australia immediately.

Described as “an out-and-out match-winner” by Australia legend Ricky Ponting, David has forced his way into the national squad courtesy of a series of breathtaking performances in T20 leagues around the world.

“He’s the sort of player that could actually win you a World Cup,” Ponting said of the 26-year-old recently. “He’s not just the average run-of-the-mill guy that might just sneak into a squad … he actually reminds me a bit of someone like an Andrew Symonds back in the 2003 World Cup. You know if you get them in and you give him an opportunity, they’re a chance of winning a tournament for you. That’s how I’d be looking at him right now.

“I know there are some other great world-quality players in the middle order for Australia, but probably none of them boasts a resumé as good as Tim’s over the last two years.”

Those past two years have seen David amass 1 874 runs at a phenomenal strike-rate of 168.40 in 86 T20 games.

The right-hander averages a boundary every 4.5 balls, and his strike-rate swells to 204.80 when batting between overs 16 and 20.

Purchased for a whopping A$1.53M by the Mumbai Indians at the IPL auction last February, David’s strike-rate of 216.28 in eight matches was the highest by any player to have faced at least 50 balls in a single IPL season

He entered the IPL after smashing 278 runs at a strike-rate of 194.41 in February’s Pakistan Super League (PSL), a series he played in having initially been sounded out by Australia’s selectors for a home T20 series against Sri Lanka at the same time.

The 26-year-old then followed up his IPL breakout season with a successful T20 Blast competition with Lancashire in England, smoking 405 runs at a strike-rate of 174.57.

Standing 196cm, he also bowls occasional right-arm off-breaks, and has taken 12 wickets from his 121 T20 games.

David played one match for Tasmania, in the 2021-22 Marsh One-Day Cup against Western Australia, taking 2-25 and hitting 36 off 23 balls
In a sign of the times, David is yet to make his first-class debut and has only played 16 List A matches, most of them with Surrey in 2021 when hit two centuries and averaged 68 with a strike-rate of 150.44.

For an Australian squad looking to become the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups, he adds an undeniable X-factor to a very well-balanced group.
“This is a similar squad to that which became the first Australian men’s team to win a T20 World Cup, who are now very excited about playing the tournament at home,” Chairman of Selectors, George Bailey said in a statement.

“Mitchell Swepson was unlucky to miss out based on conditions in the UAE at the last World Cup where we planned for tired, spinning wickets compared to what we would expect are good batting conditions along with the larger grounds in Australia.

“Tim (David) continues to establish himself with some quality performances in leagues around the world, earning a place in the squad. He is a highly gifted, natural ball striker who will add extra batting depth to the group which has had a lot of success in T20 cricket in recent times.

“We expect him to play a similar role to what he has been playing in the past few years.”

David started his career with the Perth Scorchers but it wasn’t until he moved to the Hobart Hurricanes for BBL|10 that he began to make a name for himself, impressing on Hobart debut with a 33-ball 58 against reigning champions Sydney Sixers.

Mitch Marsh, player-of-the-final in last year’s T20 World Cup, retains his place despite returning to Perth on Tuesday with ankle soreness following Australia’s win over Zimbabwe in the first Dettol ODI.

Australia’s T20 World Cup begins on October 22 in Sydney with a trans-Tasman clash against New Zealand.

Australia squad for T20 World Cup: Aaron Finch (capt.), David Warner*, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wkp.), Tim David, Josh Inglis (wkp.), Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Kane Richardson (Cameron Green replaces David Warner for India tour)