Marcus North played a total of 21 Test matches, two ODIs and a solitary T20I between February 2009 and December 2010. Known as a dependable left-handed middle-order batsman and an effective right-arm off-break bowler, North made 1171 runs in Test matches including 5 hundreds and 4 fifties. The best moments of his career revolved around his performances during the Ashes tour in 2009, when he scored two centuries and was fourth on the series run tally across both teams with 367 runs, but he saved his best Test bowling figures of 6 for 55 for Pakistan at Lord's in the summer of 2010.

The 35 year old recently spoke with PakPassion.net on what excites him the most about Australia's form in the lead up to the 2015 World Cup, his thoughts on the top order Australian pair of Aaron Finch and David Warner, as well as Australia's main rivals at the World Cup.

By Amir Husain (22nd January, 2015)

PakPassion.net : Can Australia carry their form from the recently concluded Test series against India into the World Cup?

Marcus North : I sincerely hope so. Australia have also been playing some fantastic One Day cricket too over the last twelve to twenty four months or so. If you combine that with a team that has shown so much confidence in the Test series against India, with the fact that they are playing at home in Australia, you will find that Australia will be feeling very confident going into the World Cup.


PakPassion.net : How important is the fitness of Michael Clarke for Australia’s chances at the World Cup?

Marcus North : I believe it’s crucial especially given that he is arguably one of the better players in the world as well as the captain of Australia. Having said that, credit must be given to the other guys who have stood up and made a difference without Michael who has been missing due to injury. So this does show that if Michael doesn’t get himself fit in time for the World Cup and is not feeling right about playing then, in my opinion, it won’t be a huge dent to the side. No doubt we would like to see Michael playing but we do have some great talent and it does create a huge opportunity for the other guys to stand up and be counted.


PakPassion.net : Speaking about talent, does the manner in which Steve Smith has recently been scoring runs and playing so well in all forms of cricket surprise you?

Marcus North : There are no doubts in my mind about his calibre at all. Although he’s had a record breaking series against India recently, I have seen Steve Smith develop as a young player over the years and especially in the last twelve to eighteen months, he has really lifted his game to a new level and also learnt to consistently play at that level as well. He’s a very hungry cricketer and when he gets in, he wants to do really well so it doesn’t surprise me that he’s done so well in the recent series.


PakPassion.net : What changes has Steve Smith made to improve so much in the last twelve to eighteen months? Has he made technical changes or is it simply a change of mindset?

Marcus North : I think it’s a combination of all of those factors. There is no doubt in my mind that he has made a couple of technical changes to his batting and then developed the mental confidence to do well at the highest level. He made those changes early and evolved with it which shows the class of the player he is. Of course he also has had the mental strength to do that at a young age with the Australian Test captaincy thrown into the mix as well.


PakPassion.net : How important will be the role of David Warner and Aaron Finch at the top of the order to give Australia those flying starts in the World Cup?

Marcus North : In my opinion, both Warner and Finch will be very strong in that position as they play in Australian conditions very well. They play well off the front foot and on the quicker and bouncy wickets, they are proficient in their cuts and pull shots as well. So they will be a formidable partnership at the top of the order.


PakPassion.net : The presence of such talent in the team must be very heartening for you?

Marcus North : I guess, that is the exciting thing about the Australian team that we have guys all through the whole side who are match-winners. The Australian one day side is full of match-winners and is the team to beat at the World Cup. You need such players in the limited over games and in this regard, I would say that Australia have peaked at the right time. They have these young guys in form who are confident in their position in the side and also confident of performing on the big stage and it’s exciting for them.


PakPassion.net : When you mention the term ‘match-winner’, the name Mitchell Johnson comes to mind immediately. How big a role does he have to play in the World Cup for Australia?

Marcus North : In a sense, you can say that for most members of the Australian team at the moment but with Mitchell Johnson, he has that ability with both bat and ball. I guess, it will all depend on how explosive he can be with both of those abilities during the World Cup. Australia will look at Mitchell to lead the bowling attack and be aggressive and bowl fast as well, swinging that white ball early in the innings. That’s the good thing about Australia that we have a great balance of players throughout the side.


PakPassion.net : Who do you see as Australia’s main rivals in the World Cup? How much do New Zealand impress you in this regard?

Marcus North : I would rate India as a very good side but amongst the dark horses, I would pick New Zealand as they have really shown that they are playing some good cricket now. I guess the most exciting thing about them is that they are also playing that brand of cricket in Test cricket as well. They are also winning Test series – they won one away and then followed with a good win against Sri Lanka at home. So the team has a lot of confidence in it and like I said, they are playing at home in New Zealand and in Australia. They seem to have timed their run right and they also seem to have a good mixture of senior players like Brendon McCullum and they are all in form and winning games so they will be very dangerous side to play against.     

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