Cricket Australia has included Singapore-born power hitter Tim David in their T20 World Cup squad which is scheduled for October in Australia.

The defending Champions have decided to stick with the winning squad with David replacing Mitchell Swepson being the only change to the group which won the title in Dubai last November.

His inclusion is not that surprising considering he has become one of the hottest properties in T20 franchise cricket due to his power-hitting ability. He averages 32.48 runs with a mindboggling strike rate of 164.12.

David has tested his mettle all over the world in global franchise leagues including the BBL, the Indian Premier League, the Pakistan Super League and England’s T20 Blast.

Aaron Finch had confirmed that Tim David is likely to feature in the middle-order if he finds a place in the T20 World Cup squad for Australia.

“He’s become really consistent in that role which is really tough to do for a finisher-type player, a power hitter,” Finch said. “I think that would be the role. There’s plenty of flexibility in our squad though.

“We’re pretty settled with how we want to play and the structure of the side that we’ve been playing for over the last 18 months.”

Australian Chair of Selectors George Bailey also welcomed the addition of David.

“Tim (David) continues to establish himself with some quality performances in leagues around the world, earning a place in the squad. He is a highly gifted, natural ball striker who will add extra batting depth to the group which has had a lot of success in T20 cricket.

“We expect him to play a similar role to that he has been playing in the past few years.”

Australia begins its title defence against New Zealand in Sydney on 22nd October.

Australia squad for T20 World Cup:

Aaron Finch (capt), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Tim David, Josh Inglis (wk), Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Kane Richardson.