Australian legend Mark Waugh has slammed the Baggy Greens’ T20 World Cup campaign as “doomed from the start” following their second successive defeat to Sri Lanka.
Monday’s eight-wicket defeat at Palekele meant their fate was no longer in their hands, and when Tuesday’s match between Ireland and Zimbabwe was rained out, the 2021 champions suffered an embarrassing group stage exit that would have been unthinkable at the start of the tournament.
After the defeat to Sri Lanka, Waugh criticized the “inexplicable” choices made by Australia’s selection committee and called the omission of Steve Smith an “insult” after the 36-year-old’s stellar performance in the BBL before the World Cup.
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In the T20 World Cup, Pathum Nissanka’s incredible hundred in just 52 balls helped Sri Lanka defeat Australia by eight wickets.
“I think the whole season was doomed from the start with selection issues and injuries,” Waugh told Australia’s SEN radio after the defeat.
“For me, Steve Smith not being selected in the team is the most puzzling non-selection that I can remember in a long time.
Their choice was completely wrong and having their best player sit on Steve Smith’s sideline 100 yards away…I honestly think this is an insult to Steve Smith. ”
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Zimbabwe’s Tony Munyonga took a brilliant catch in the field to dismiss Ben Dwarshuis and his team won against Australia in the ICC T20 World Cup.
Smith, who has scored 1094 runs for Australia in T20 Internationals, was a talisman for his side, Sydney Sixers, averaging just under 60 runs before the tournament.
Australia’s sixth all-time run scorer across all formats is also a master of spin. After Marsh and fellow opener Travis Head scored 104 runs in 8.3 overs, their batting failed repeatedly against Sri Lanka and they lost 10 wickets for 77 runs.
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A brilliant catch by Pathum Nissanka from Glenn Maxwell gave Australia 160-5 as they made it 20 points.
“(Smith) is an outstanding fielder. He’s a great player with spin. He should have been picked first, he wasn’t picked by the team…then he wasn’t even picked as a substitute, they brought him over there and he hasn’t played yet,” Waugh added.
“The selectors have a plan but they have to be smart to see which players are doing well and which players are not and they have to play much better than the percentages the selectors are playing at the moment.”
“I was just confused.”
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