England vs Australia 2018: 5 players who could help revive Australian Cricket

Australian cricket is going through one of it's toughest phase post the sandpaper gate incident. The absence of Steven Smith and David Warner, both of whom were banned for a year by Cricket Australia owing to their involvement in the ball tampering scandal, has clearly affected the Australian team as they have looked completely out of sorts in the ongoing ODI series against England.

Taking nothing away from the strong England side, the Kangaroos haven't posted any serious challenge in the series. In the third ODI at Trent Bridge, England blasted a record 481 runs against a blunt-looking Australian bowling attack. The Australian team is looking for an inspiration from somewhere and the senior players in the side will need to put their hands up.

Smith and Warner might still play next year's World Cup, but Australia, not relying on it, should build a strong core of players. Some of the senior players will need to step up and take the added responsibility of getting the Australian team back on track.

Here we look at five such players who can help revive Australian Cricket.

#5 Travis Head

Head has shown a lot of promise

Travis Head is one of the most promising talents going around Australia. Head made his ODI debut at a young age of 22 in 2016 against West Indies. Since then he has been a regular in the ODI side and has scored over 1000 runs with an impressive average of around 36.

He has been used both as a middle-order batsman and an opener, but in Warner's absence, the Australian team management is playing him at the top of the order. He is also a more than handy off-spinner. It is a fantastic opportunity for Head to perform when the team is in dire straits and make a name for himself in the history of Australian cricket.

#4 Shaun Marsh

Marsh celebrating his century against England

Shaun Marsh has been around for a long time now. Starting his career way back in 2008, Marsh was considered to be the future star. But the left-hander has flattered to deceive on crucial occasions.

Throughout his career, Marsh showed flashes of brilliance but lacked consistency and was injury-prone. Owing to which he was dropped from the side on numerous occasions. But he kept coming back. His performance in the Ashes earned him a lot of accolades and reinstated selectors' faith in his abilities. Marsh has scored two centuries in the ongoing series against Australia and looks settled in Australia's middle order.

Australia would bank on him to finally come good.

#3 Josh Hazlewood

Hazlewood has been highly successful in ODIs

Josh Hazlewood has progressed by leaps and bounds in international cricket, ever since his Test debut in 2014. He has complimented Mitchell Starc brilliantly and has been a top performer in Test cricket.

Even though he has concentrated more on Test cricket, his ODI numbers are quite outstanding. The pacer has taken 69 wickets in the 41 ODIs that he has played so far. He is known for bowling with immaculate line and length and has the ability to strangle the batsmen for runs. Keeping in mind next year's World Cup, the selectors might give him more opportunities in ODIs.

#2 Mitchell Starc

Can Starc remain fit till World Cup 2019?

One bowler who can single-handedly destroy any batting line-up in World cricket is Mitchell Starc. The speedster has been a revelation and has put his heart out with some strong performances for the Australian team.

Like Hazlewood, he has played more of Tests than ODIs. However, without the experience of Smith and Warner, the selectors will definitely want their premier fast bowler to give some stability to the ODI side before the World Cup. Also, the Australian bowling attack has looked toothless and desperately needs some firepower. Starc has been injury prone over the years, so it will be critical for him to maintain his fitness.

#1 Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch can lead the Australian side to the World Cup

Due to the unavailability of Smith and Warner, the onus of shouldering the responsibility of the batting department lies with Aaron Finch. Finch, who has been an integral part of Australia's ODI setup for years, has played some match-winning innings for the team.

He also comes across as someone who has a calm head on his shoulders and his presence in the side will be critical in these torrid times. Finch has the ability to play according to the situation and his batting against spin bowling has improved tremendously after his stints in the IPL. Also, with questions being raised on Tim Paine's leadership skills and place in the team, Finch can be handed over the captaincy which will make his role even more crucial in Australia's redemption.