Australia's World Cup team

Australia will be gunning to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive cricket World Cup when the tournament starts on the subcontinent next month.

The 15-man squad will be named on Wednesday and with today's first ODI practically a trial run, it's time to look at who the selectors might pick.

It seems bowling rather than batting spots are open, which is little surprise after the lacklustre efforts from the Australian attack this summer.

The absence of Ryan Harris (ankle) is a massive blow - the guy enjoyed a magical start both his ODI and Test careers and is a menacing presence with the new pill.

Expect Brett Lee's renaissance to continue: he has looked a million bucks in the recent T20s and hopefully can keep that form going.

I suspect Shaun Tait will be on the plane - despite being left out of today's showdown, the tearaway seems to be one of the selectors' favourites. Tait hasn't been at his best since returning from injury but has the ability to turn a game in a matter of balls. With reverse swing prevalent in India, Tait could well prove a match winner.

Mitchell Johnson is a certainty.

I think the decision to play Xavier Doherty today instead of Nathan Hauritz is a sign that the Tasmanian left-armer might get the nod over the Bluebag. Despite lacking penetration during the Ashes, Doherty is a good limited overs bowler.

Hauritz ... Frankly, he's been dudded. He was dropped after copping some stick from history's second greatest player - Sachin Tendulkar - in India and hasn't looked like getting back in. It's a shame, because he was just getting into his Test stride before Andrew Hilditch and Co cut him off at the legs.

Today also indicated that Doug Bollinger would edge Peter Siddle for a bowling berth. Doug the Rug had a horror summer, only playing one Test, but just seems to be preferred to his Victorian counterpart in the shorter formats.

That means the specialist bowlers will be Lee, Johnson, Tait, Doherty and Bollinger. Hmm. That's not enough. Back to the drawing board.

The other three candidates are Hauritz, Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus, who struggled to penetrate during the Ashes. I'm not sure the subcontinent will be the place to revive his fortunes. However, taking just five frontline bowlers to the world's biggest tournament seems foolhardy - take him as a warm body and give him a game against Canada?

Personally, I'd plump for Hauritz because the wickets will be low, slow and take turn. Whether the selectors do remains to be seen. I fear that the selectors will leave it to all-rounders and bits and pieces men to cover the frontliners.

Australia will take a few of all-rounders. Shane Watson is good enough to go as a specialist bat - he is a certainty to open the innings - but his seam-up stuff is also a very handy option.

David Hussey probably booked himself a spot with handy bowling efforts in the T20 and first ODI. His flat spin seems to rob batsmen of rhythm and will be invaluable in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. There are still question marks about his batting - the guy is a slow starter and sometimes looks out of depth at international level.

Steve Smith is a certainty to bat seven. His leggies are handy and probably more suited to the short format than Test cricket, his ability to improvise with the bat is a must late in a 50-over innings and he may be one of the top three fielders in the nation.

The shame is batting certainties Michael Clark (left arm orthodox) and Cameron White (legspin) aren't bowling - taking the pace off will be a vital factor on low, dusty tracks. If the team looks anything like I've suggested, I think the selectors and team heirachy should encourage these guys to get back into the nets and roll their arms over. It would add a ton of balance and give captain Ricky Ponting endless options.

Ponting will be there and I suspect he sat out the fifth Test and the bloated seven-game, one-day series to ensure he has a chance to become the only man to captain three World Cup-winning teams.

Michael Hussey will be there as the closer - the man who comes in at six and uses a combination of sharp running and faultless placement to bring a healthy finish to a dig.

I would like to see David Warner get a spot. The electrifying left-hander has been in good form lately and has been starting his innings in a more measured fashion, adding untold staying power to his innings. Warner also has the X-factor to win a tournament off his own bat - when at his best, he scores faster than anyone on the planet. Perhaps he could be used as a floating pinch hitter coming in anywhere from No 3 to 7 depending on circumstance. Worth a gamble, I'd say. However, I doubt the men who matter see things the same way.

That leaves two spots, which I think will both go to keepers. Brad Haddin will be the first choice with Tim Paine his understudy. Whether that remains the pecking order by the end of the tournament remains to be seen.

Paine is ready to go at international level - he has sparkled in his limited chances so far and may be one of the best five cricketers in the country. That the young Tasmanian was preferred to his counterpart for the T20s speaks volumes, no matter what Hilditch tries to say.

Haddin is a fine cricketer - he is a better bat than Paine, but his keeping is slipping - he missed some chances today and was tidy, rather than outstanding, during the Ashes. Paine is better behind the sticks. If the incumbent struggles with bat or gloves in India, he could well find himself done at international level.

Sadly, that is the plight of many of Australia's squad come the big tournament.

Ponting's future is still up in the air, Michael Hussey was on his last legs before the Test series, David Hussey has just been repatriated after 18 months in the wilderness, Doherty needs to prove himself while Tait and Lee are having their last hurrah at this level.

I will write a heap more about the World Cup as it draws closer, but the uncertainty surrounding a few of the personnel will be a hindrance, not a help come game time.

My squad is: Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke (vc), Doug Bollinger, Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine, Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Cameron White.