With the ODI World Cup on the horizon, Australia's legendary pacer Glenn McGrath has picked his four semifinalists for the marquee 50-overs tournament starting October 5 in India.
The 53-year-old has picked five-time champions Australia, 1992 World Cup winners Pakistan, defending champions England and the two-time ODI World Cup winners India as his four semi-finalists ahead of the 50-overs spectacle.
McGrath feels that Australia stand a wonderful opportunity of doing exceedingly well in the World Cup as they have enough matches scheduled in the Indian subcontinent prior to the tournament in order to prepare well and get their combination right.
"Although the (Australian) Test team is quite different to the one-day one, I think they will do well.
Australia is one of the top four teams to make it to the semis of the World Cup," said McGrath during his recent visit to the MRF Pace Foundation academy as reported by PTI.
"They like competing in the big tournaments and big games.
They perform well and have got enough experience, and also have some younger guys coming through.
Also, they have enough matches in the sub-continent to prepare for the tournament," he added.
"I put India and England as well.
England has been playing some good one-day cricket lately.
I will put Pakistan in there as well."
Australia took an extremely bold call recently as the selection committee left Marnus Labuschagne out of the preliminary 18-player ODI squad that will compete in the forthcoming series against South Africa and India. The 18-player squad will be further trimmed down to 15 going ahead.
Labuschagne, who occupied an integral position in the middle order in the One-Day format lately couldn't deliver desired results on a consistent basis for the Kangaroos which has led to his ouster.
However, he still has an outside chance of making it to the team if he gets an opportunity to play for Australia A in a three-match ODI series versus New Zealand A from September 10 to 15 and in the Marsh One-Day Cup that will follow the same.
