Behrendorff has 14 wickets in a fledgling career of 13 limited-overs matches. Having made his one-day international debut at the start of the year against India at home and taken two wickets, he has since featured on the tours of India and the UAE.

However, with fellow left-armer Mitchell Starc expected to return for the World Cup, and given Australia's fast-bowling stocks, which include Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson and Nathan Coulter-Nile, Behrendorff knows his path to the flagship tournament won't be easy.

He hopes that performances, such as the one for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday, 3 April, will keep him "in front of selectors' minds". On IPL debut, the bowler took 2/22 against MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings, sending back opener Ambati Rayudu in the first over of a chase of 171 and then getting some help from a leaping Kieron Pollard in the deep to dismiss Suresh Raina.

"My spot is not certainly cemented down, that's for sure," he said after the match. "Any performance here can really help me out. My main strength is swinging the new ball up front and taking some wickets. It was good that I was able to do that tonight and keep that in front of selectors' minds that I'm still bowling and bowling well."

Behrendorff doesn't quite see himself competing with Starc for a place in the XI. "It's not foreign to have two left-armers in the team," he said. "Australia haven't done that a lot in the past, but I don't see why we can't do that.

"Mitch bowls exceptionally well at the death but can also bowl through the middle and up front, so it might be a case of if we're both picked in the same team having slightly different roles. I'll probably look to bowl up front and Mitch might bowl more through the middle and at the end.

"But yes, if we're both in the same side, it'll be quite exciting!"