Cricket Australia’s selectors have shown plenty of faith in former national Twenty20 skipper Cameron White and some of that faith was repaid with his unbeaten 22 against Ireland, coach Mickey Arthur says.

White and captain George Bailey (six not out) steered Australia to a comfortable seven-wicket win with 4.5 overs remaining on Wednesday night in Colombo as Australia made a solid start to their World T20 campaign.

Australia play West Indies in their other Group B match on Saturday night.

Arthur says White, who had made 20 runs in a three-game T20 series against Pakistan in Dubai followed by scores of eight and nine in World T20 warm-up games against New Zealand and England, is starting to get some confidence back into his game with some time in the middle.

“Cam was hitting it beautifully in the nets,” Arthur said on Thursday.

“I know it’s only net. That was our question around the selection table.

“He’s looking so good but it’s only a net.

“And then he never quite got going in the warm-up games.

“We did show a little bit of faith in him. He justified that to a point last night.

“That would have given him so much confidence going forward in the series.”

White has been out of the one-day international side for more than a year but Arthur says the 29-year-old is part of Australia’s plans for the 2015 World Cup.

“He’s played 87 one-day internationals,” said Arthur, who’s also a selector.

“Cam White can come again. Cam White can play for us at the 2015 World Cup.

“He’s worth investing that time in.

“He has been fantastic around the group.

“I’ve been unbelievably impressed with his attitude, the way he’s gone about his business.”

Arthur said White bowled well with his legspinners in a training camp in Darwin in August and gives the side another option during the World T20 campaign.