Beau Webster sets sights on ODI scheme of things for Australia on the back of his skills he brings as an all-rounder.
Beau Webster hopes his all-round skills can help push for ODI honours.
Although he acknowledges that white-ball cricket has recently suffered as a result of his ascent to Test cricket, Beau Webster is eager to advance his reputation as a one-day cricket player ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
This week, Webster will play at the beginning of Tasmania’s One-Day Cup campaign, which starts on Tuesday against New South Wales in Sydney and ends on Friday against Victoria in Brisbane before the Sheffield Shield early next month.
Webster’s batting record in List A is mediocre, with an average of 30.31 and a strike rate of 77.10. His lone century was in 2017 while playing for a development team in the one-day tournament for Cricket Australia.
Webster on playing ODI Cricket
“I’d love to play white-ball cricket for Australia,” Webster told the media. “Probably more so one-day cricket than T20 at this stage. It just feels a bit like I haven’t played it for a long time.
“The last 12 months I’ve been solely focused on red-ball cricket and that’s in county cricket, Shield cricket and Test cricket. It feels like I’ve hardly hit a white ball and the things that go along with training for white-ball is a lot different than they are for red-ball.
“I feel like my red-ball game’s in a really good place and I’ve got my preparation down to a tee. I suppose that I haven’t really thought too much about it [white-ball cricket] but obviously if the opportunity came and they needed what I do, I’d absolutely jump at it and love to represent the country in the colours.”
Australia ODI Transition
In October and November of that year, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will host the 2027 ODI World Cup, the next men’s 50-over competition. Webster might be a good fit for the circumstances in Southern Africa because of his quick medium pace and batting power against fast bowling.
After Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell retired, Australia’s 50-over team is undergoing considerable change, particularly in the batting department. In his most recent opportunities against South Africa, Aaron Hardie struggled in the No. 7 position. Prior to incurring a concussion, Webster’s Tasmania teammate Mitchell Owen was scheduled to play in the series.
“I think if you’re scoring runs and taking wickets in Test cricket, you’re always going to be seen as an option,” Webster said. “If you’re doing it at that level…there are a lot of transferable skills across from Test cricket to one-day cricket. So I hope I’m in the conversation if I can continue to score runs in the One-Day Cup for Tasmania and Test level. I hope my name gets thrown around for a potential debut.”