Travis Head has fractured his left hand. It may be a doubt if he can participate in the upcoming World Cup. Hence, Australia has to be careful and prepare for potential replacement options. They have a series against India to prepare for the same. On that note, here, we take a look at three players Australia must prepare as backups for Travis Head if he gets ruled out of the 2023 ODI World Cup.
1) Marnus Labuschagne
It is most likely that Marnus Labuschagne will take Travis Head’s place if the attacking batter does not make it to the World Cup. Marnus is more of an option in the middle-order, but he can be accommodated if Mitchell Marsh moves up the order to open the batting with Warner.
Marnus’ recent form will also help his case. Coming in as a concussion substitute, he did well in the first ODI against the Proteas before scoring a century in the second one. Therefore, he is the ideal candidate for this list.
2) Tim David
Yes, Travis Head and Tim David play completely different roles. However, David could help the balance of the side if he comes in. The big-hitter recently made his ODI debut.
If Travis Head goes out, Mitchell Marsh is likely to open the batting. That would leave a vacancy in the middle-order. With his finishing abilities, Tim David can compete with the likes of Marcus Stoinis for a place in the lower middle-order.
3) Matthew Short
Matthew Short is one of the players Australia must prepare as backups for Travis Head if he gets ruled out of the 2023 ODI World Cup. The top-order batter has been with Australia in recent weeks and will be a suitable replacement for Travis Head.
He played for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2023. Although he did not do well, the experience of playing on Indian pitches will help the cricketer. Hence, he is a part of this list.
