Hobart: Mitchell Owen revealed that he will be translating his T20I success as he prepares to make his ODI debut for Australia later this month, following an impressive start to his international career in the T20Is against the West Indies.
The 23-year-old was a standout selection in Australia’s revamped ODI squad for the upcoming three-match home series against South Africa, set to be played in Cairns and Mackay from August 19. The ODI series will follow a three-match T20I series against the same opponents in Darwin and Cairns, beginning next week. Owen has retained his place in the squad after a strong T20I debut where he posted scores of 50, 36*, 2 and 37 while batting at No. 6, finishing the series with an exceptional strike rate of 192.30.
Although Owen made his name as an opener in the BBL, it was his composed power-hitting in the middle and death overs during the recent Caribbean T20Is – along with his handy medium-pacer bowling – that earned him a spot in Australia’s ODI squad. His inclusion comes as the team enters a new era, beginning preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa following the post-Champions Trophy retirements of veterans Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.
Owen admitted he hasn’t been told where he might slot into the batting order if given the opportunity in the upcoming ODI series, but he made it clear that his mindset and aggressive style at the crease will remain unchanged from his breakout performances in the Caribbean.
“If I am opening the batting or if I’m batting down the order, not much will change. Not much really changes in any form of my cricket. I just try and hit the ball and I feel like if I sort of think ‘defend’, I go into my shell a little bit and it just doesn’t work. So yeah, I’ll be keeping that same mindset,” Owen said.
Owen will link up with the squad in Darwin on Wednesday after a rare chance to sleep in his own bed. Since April, he has played 26 T20 matches across five countries, featuring in the PSL, IPL, MLC, and making his international debut.
Reflecting on his first experience navigating the T20 franchise circuit, Owen said the journey has taught him a great deal about his own game. “What I learned was that I have to find my own process and my own training methods to get ready for each game, because you don’t have those chunks of training time to upskill your game or try new things,” Owen said.
“You’ve got to be ready to play every couple of days. So for me, I learnt a lot about that and a lot about what I need to get ready. And then obviously, on the different wickets, sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to get, but I think going to the subcontinent for Pakistan and India held me in good stead for some of the wickets in the MLC and some of the wickets in the West Indies. It’s all just experience and knowledge that I’ve been able to sort of bank.”
