With Australia entering a rebuilding phase in ODIs ahead of the 2027 World Cup, the retirements of Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, and Marcus Stoinis have opened up multiple spots in the lineup. Tim David, known for his power-hitting in T20s, is naturally seen as a candidate to fill one of those roles. However, the 29-year-old has made it clear that he currently has no intention of returning to List A cricket to push for ODI selection.
Primarily recognized as a T20 finisher, David remains one of the most sought-after players in franchise leagues across the globe. Since 2022, he’s been a regular in Australia’s T20 side. The selectors even gave him a shot in ODIs ahead of the 2023 World Cup, calling him up for the South Africa series when Maxwell was sidelined with injury.
Despite not playing a single List A game since August 2021, David featured in four ODIs in that series but didn’t make much of an impact. His last appearance in the format was the final ODI of that tour in September 2023, and he hasn’t played a List A match since.
David recently signed a new two-season deal with the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League, though he currently holds no domestic contract within Australia. The last time he played in Australia’s domestic one-day competition was in 2021 for Tasmania. Before representing his birth country Singapore, he had a stint with Western Australia in the 2017–18 season.
Maxwell and Stoinis stepping away from ODIs has left a void in Australia’s finisher role. With Smith also gone, the six-time world champions are looking to rebuild their 50-over side for the next World Cup. But David isn’t currently interested in that conversation.
On Tuesday, he said:
“I’m definitely having conversations with my coaches and the people around me who I want to be speaking to about my game at the moment. I’m not entirely sure. It’s not something that’s on the immediate radar.”
He added:
“To be honest, this year’s quite full-on with the T20 World Cup coming up. This winter feels a bit different for me. In previous years, I would spend four to five months overseas playing back-to-back leagues. But now we’ve got so many T20 internationals coming up, there’s just no time to think about anything else. So, we’ll see what happens. But right now, there are no plans.”
David is currently in Perth, undergoing rehabilitation for a hamstring injury he picked up during the IPL. He’s preparing to return for Australia’s T20I series against the West Indies, which begins on July 20 in Jamaica. Though he missed the IPL playoffs due to the injury, David played a vital role in helping Royal Challengers Bangalore clinch their maiden title.
He was initially planning to make his return in the Global T20 Canada with the Hurricanes, but his recovery took longer than expected.
Australia’s white-ball schedule is packed. Starting with the West Indies tour, they’ll play eight consecutive T20Is—five in the Caribbean followed by three more at home against South Africa. They’ll then face South Africa in three ODIs, followed by a tour of New Zealand for three more T20Is. In October and November, Australia will play three ODIs and five T20Is at home against India.
