AUSTRALIA
Australia factbox for the Twenty20 World Cup opening at Lord's on Friday:
STRENGTHS
Australia are ranked number one in the world in Test cricket, have won the last three World Cups and are the holders of the Champions Trophy. They are one of the few cricketing countries to make money from the sport and they boast a seemingly endless production line of top-quality players.
WEAKNESSES
Among the last of the major cricket countries to embrace Twenty20 and have been reluctant to treat it any more seriously than a money-making novelty event. Test cricket remains the priority.
KEY PLAYER
David Warner is the only specialist Twenty20 player in the squad. An explosive left-handed opener, he blasted 89 from 43 balls in his Twenty20 debut against South Africa in January.
ODDS 9/2
SQUAD: Ricky Ponting (captain), Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Andrew Symonds, David Warner and Shane Watson.
Links: Confident Team India set off to retain T20 crown | Twenty20 World Cup | IPL 2009