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Sport
Roger Vaughan

Finch expects David to star in World Cup

Australia's Tim David (pic) is being tipped by Aaron Finch as a breakout star at the T20 World Cup. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Australia captain Aaron Finch forecasts a breakout T20 World Cup for Tim David, predicting the allrounder will be one of the stars of the tournament.

David, whose inclusion was confirmed on Saturday, is the only change to the 15-man squad that won last year's title in Dubai.

The 26-year-old allrounder confirmed his berth with a powerful display of hitting earlier this month in a T20 international against the West Indies in Brisbane.

"No doubt, he's a star," Finch said of David

"Around the world, he's well-and-truly recognised on the T20 scene and it has its advantages, dedicating your craft to one format.

"It allows you to become really specialised.

"He's as clean a striker of the ball as you'll get, he bowls some handy overs and he's pretty good in the field.

"He'll definitely be a household name by the time the tournament is done."

Australia have had an uneven preparation for their World Cup title defence, most recently losing two games to England.

After Friday's third and final warmup match against the English in Canberra was washed out, Finch said the squad was tired.

They now have a week to freshen up ahead of their first game on October 22 against New Zealand.

"It's about trying to make sure we have as many bases covered as possible in a tournament (where) the format is really brutal," Finch said

"I feel everyone is in a really good spot.

"There's a real calmness in our group and also a confidence that we know our best is good enough on the day.

"In terms of the overall picture, you need a bit of luck in a T20 World Cup as well - the format lends itself to one individual performance knocking teams out or changing the course of a tournament."

Australia have had several injury concerns, but Finch said apart from Mitch Marsh still building up his bowling, their fitness is good ahead of the tournament.

The World Cup starts on Sunday in Geelong, with Sri Lanka playing Namibia and the UAE taking on the Netherlands.

Namibia were one of the stories of last year's World Cup, qualifying for the Super 12 stage after beating Scotland in their group.

"This year, it's a bit different. Last year, it was good riding that underdog factor and just go with it," captain Gerhard Erasmus said.

"There's a bit more expectation perhaps this year, to go one better.

"We will still try and ride on that underdog for a little bit longer, but when the real stuff starts you need to bring the high-level skill that guys play at the World Cup."

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