Having won the T20 World Cup for the first time less than a year ago, Australia will start the 2022 edition as favourites, more so because they will be playing at home. They have also had an excellent year so far, beating Sri Lanka home and away and winning the lone Twenty20 International in Pakistan. They did lose 1-2 in India in September, but even there they took a 1-0 lead despite coming into the series without David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, and Marcus Stoinis.

So strong is the Australian outfit that they could not find a place for Cam Green, who – despite being overlooked for Twenty20 cricket until recently – had an outstanding tour of India. In Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Josh Inglis, Marsh, and Stoinis, Australia have an assortment of big hitters who can, apart from their main suit, either bowl or keep wickets.

Australia use their Test pace attack – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Starc – in T20Is, allowing little respite for batters from pace and hostility. In Adam Zampa they have one of the finest leg-spinners in the format; and then, there are the all-rounders. With Aaron Finch and Warner at the top, Australia may go ahead without Steve Smith to accommodate every explosive middle-order batter in the XI.

Australia will play a Super 12s match in each of their five major home venues. They will open the 2022 T20 World Cup with a contest against New Zealand in Sydney. They will then travel to Perth to play the table toppers of Group A in the First Round, which consists of Sri Lanka, Namibia, Netherlands, and UAE.

Three days later, they host England in Melbourne, followed by the runners-up of Group B (West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Scotland) in Brisbane. They will complete their Super 12s outing with a match against Afghanistan in Adelaide.

T20 World Cup 2022, Australia schedule: Fixture list and match timings

(All timings are in local time)

1st match, Australia v New Zealand, October 22, Sydney Cricket Ground, Melbourne, 6pm
2nd match, Australia v winners of Group A, October 25, Perth Stadium, Perth, 7pm
3rd match, Australia v England, October 28, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, 7pm
4th match, Australia v runners-up of Group B, October 31, The Gabba, Brisbane, 7pm
5th match, Australia v Afghanistan, November 4, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, 6:30 pm