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Cricket World Cup 2023

Marks out of ten: Player ratings for Australia at the 2023 World Cup

David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins in the 2023 World Cup
by Wisden Staff 3 minute read

Australia won the 2023 World Cup with a six-wicket victory in the final in Ahmedabad, sealing their sixth title in the men’s tournament – here are the marks out of ten for all of their squad.

David Warner – 8

11 matches, 528 runs at 52.80, SR: 107.53, HS: 163

A fitting farewell tournament from Warner. Back-to-back centuries starting with a massive 163 against Pakistan were followed by an 81 against New Zealand. The partnerships he shared with both Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head allowed Australia to dominate their oppositions with the bat. Still gets docked half a mark for his shot in the final alone.

Travis Head – 9

6 matches, 329 runs at 54.83, SR: 127.51, HS: 137
2 wickets at 50.50, ER: 4.80, BBI: 2-34

Player of the match in the semi-final and final, Head was Australia’s ultimate clutch player. His century in the final was decisive in ensuring Australia won, the only blip being getting out with two runs left to get. Having broken his hand weeks before the tournament, it was a remarkable turnaround for Head to be able to play any part in the World Cup, let alone be so influential in it’s result.

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Mitchell Marsh – 7.5

10 matches, 441 runs at 49.00, SR: 107.56, HS: 177*
2 wickets at 48.00, ER: 7.38, BBI: 2-19

After a quiet start to the tournament, Marsh kicked on with a half-century against Sri Lanka followed by a hundred against Pakistan. His mammoth 177* was the second-highest score of the tournament.

Steve Smith – 5

10 matches, 302 runs at 33.55, SR: 80.96, HS: 71

Solid from Smith as Australia’s anchor, although there were times when his strike rate dragged even for that role. Nevertheless, as Australia’s big-hitters dominated Smith made sure they were able to post defendable targets and kept them in chases time after time.

Marnus Labuschagne – 5

11 matches, 362 runs at 40.22, SR: 70.70, HS: 71

Having only been added to the squad at the last minute, Labuschagne ended up playing every game for Australia. His strike rate was problematic, especially when considering it in combination with Smith’s. However, an unbeaten half-century in the final when the run-rate didn’t matter made him the perfect partner for Head to work around. His role in that win shouldn’t be underestimated.

Glenn Maxwell – 9

9 matches, 400 runs at 66.66, SR: 150.37, HS: 201*
6 wickets at 55.00, ER: 4.81, BBI: 2-34

It’s impossible to look too far beyond Maxwell’s gargantuan knock against Afghanistan. The best ODI knock of all time offsets pretty much anything below par he did in the tournament, and when you take into account he also hit the fastest-ever World Cup century, everything else is irrelevant. The six wickets he picked up with his part-time spin are also worth a mention for the flexibility they allowed Pat Cummins with the ball.

Josh Inglis – 5

10 matches, 159 runs at 19.87, SR: 94.64, HS: 58

Having come into the tournament as Alex Carey’s deputy, Inglis finishes in possession of the gloves. There was no standout innings and his stats don’t read for a good tournament, but the reality is that a lot of the time the job had been done by the time he came to the crease. A deeper look at some of his performances, the 58 against Sri Lanka and the 28 against South Africa in particular, show that he played some important knocks in the campaign.

Alex Carey – 1

1 match, o runs, o catches, o stumpings

Just the one outing for Carey, Australia’s first match of the tournament, in which he was out for a two-ball duck.

Marcus Stoinis – 2

6 matches, 87 runs at 21.75, SR: 112.98, HS: 35
4 wickets at 35.75, ER: 7.52, BBI: 2-40

There was little of substance in Stoinis’ campaign with either bat or ball. He was in and out of the side throughout the tournament and, once Head came back into the starting XI, he lost out to Labuschagne in who would make way.

Cameron Green – 3

3 matches, 0 wickets, ER: 5.50
63 runs at 21.00, SR: 75.90, HS: 47

Green top-scored with 47 against England in what was to be his last innings of the tournament. With Australia’s many all-round options and Marsh in the top three, he quickly found himself squeezed out of the best XI.

Mitchell Starc – 6.5

10 matches, 16 wickets at 33.00, ER: 6.06, BBI: 3-34

Although his tournament fell short of the incredible heights he reached in the last two editions, Starc’s performance in this World Cup was still important to Australia’s success. The zinging yorkers weren’t quite as pinpoint as they have been in previous years, the swing not quite as lethal, but nevertheless, 16 wickets including an incredible spell in the semi-final of 3-34 off ten overs was an invaluable part of Australia’s settled bowling unit.

Pat Cummins – 8

11 matches, 15 wickets at 34.33, ER: 5.57, BBI: 3-51

A World Test Championship winning captain, Ashes winning captain and now World Cup winning captain, there are few trophies that don’t adorn Cummins’ cabinet. His influence in the final, deciding to bowl first, rotating his bowlers superbly, and 2-34 in his ten overs was a masterful leadership performance.

Adam Zampa – 9

11 matches, 23 wickets at 22.39, ER: 5.36, BBI: 4-8

Zampa was the best spinner on display in the tournament. No other spinner has taken as many wickets in a single edition of the men’s World Cup, and his three consecutive four-fors were important in turning Australia’s campaign around from their early losses.

Josh Hazlewood – 8

11 matches, 16 wickets at 28.06, ER: 4.81, BBI: 3-38

Australia’s most economical seamer, Hazlewood was one of the stand-out powerplay bowlers of the tournament. Sides scored at a higher rate than ever in the powerplay during the 2023 World Cup yet, aside from Jasprit Bumrah, Hazlewood was the most economical bowler in the first ten overs. He won’t make the top part of the wicket-taking charts, but his role for Australia was more important than the 16 wickets he took. Running in as Starc’s partner and bashing a hard length helped Australia keep their oppositions under pressure, and that he went for runs in the first part of the final was pivotal in India managing to set a decent score.

Sean Abbott – 4

1 match, 2 wickets at 30.50, ER: 6.10, BBI: 2-61

Abbott’s only appearance in the tournament was as cover for Starc against Bangladesh. Two wickets (and a run out) in a win were his contribution to the tournament.

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