Let’s not pretend that we are indifferent to Australia‘s ongoing struggles at the T20 World Cup. Consecutive losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka have left the Baggy Green’s on the cusp of exiting the tournament, with their destiny firmly in the hands of other teams.
More than any other side, South Africans seem to love seeing Australia struggle. That Schadenfreude is probably firmly rooted in the trauma inflicted on our boys back in the late 1990’s and early 2000s – particularly that game that still cannot be mentioned.
But we are not here to talk about why we enjoy watching the Aussie’s struggle, let’s try to understand what’s going on with one of the world’s former cricketing superpowers who have seemingly turned into a pale shadow of their former selves.
1. Injuries
Australia have been badly hit by injuries, particularly to their frontline quick bowlers. They are without both Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood who are two outstanding campaigners.
The absence of the two physically imposing quicks shouldn’t be enough to derail Australia, but it is certainly something that has sat at the back of their minds.
When you consider that Mitchell Starc is recently retired from the format suddenly the Baggy Greens are at a World Cup for the first time in more than a decade without any of their big three bowlers.
2. Depth
One of the key factors for sides like South Africa and India has been their ability to build squad depth. The Proteas lost Tony De Zorzi and Donny Ferreira ahead of the tournament and they were seamlessly replaced by Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton.
Similarly, if Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi were forced out, waiting in the wings would be Anrich Nortje, Kwena Maphaka and Ottneil Baartman, all ready to step up and do the business.
Depth is critical and Shukri Conrad has worked hard to develop this – sometimes the creation of depth has been to the detriment of results in the short-term, but if World Cup glory is the goal, then forsaking results in bilateral series is the cost that must be paid.
From an Aussie perspective, while their first-choice line-up has an impressive look about it, the depth that once existed is no longer there, and names like Ben Dwarshuis, Cooper Connolly,
Xavier Bartlett, Matthew Kuhnemann and Matthew Renshaw don’t invoke fear like the names of old.
Also read: 8 of the strangest cricket injuries
3. Age
Any squad needs balance – It needs the experience of veterans and the verve of youth. Critically it also needs a solid core of players in their prime.
Although they won the Ashes, what was noticeable about Australia is that they were a very old team – they fielded just one player under the age of 30. Their World Cup team is a little younger, but it is still too full of players who are past their prime.
Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis for instance, are excellent cricketers – but are the 2026 versions of those players as good as the 2022 versions? Probably not. Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith and Nathan Ellis are also all on the wrong side of 30.
4. Confidence
Australia’s preparation for the tournament has been poor. Their domestic franchise league the Big Bash ran perilously close to the start of the World Cup which meant that many players were not available for the preparations, including their tour to Pakistan.
That tour to Pakistan was an unmitigated disaster as the Baggy Greens were whitewashed 3-0 on the big turning tracks of Lahore. Their confidence was badly shaken in Pakistan and on reflection they should probably have found an alternative warm-up destination.
5. Selection
Players thrive when team communication and messaging is clear. Australia have got this wrong as questions about their selections abound. Steve Smith is a great example of this. He was in stellar form during the BBL, averaging almost 60, but despite this, he was not selected.
Yes, he is old. But he is also vastly experienced with World Cup winning credentials and he is in form. He was eventually called up as cover for Hazelwood when it became apparent that the bowler would not be able to play.
Then, having joined the squad he was left sitting on the sidelines while the middle-order imploded against Sri Lanka.
To make matters worse, when skipper Mitch Marsh was declared fit to play the selectors opted to drop Matt Renshaw, while leaving Tim David and Cameron Green in the side – the duo who have a combined 30 runs between them all tournament.
Commenting on the selection issues former batsman Mark Waugh told SEN radio on Tuesday: “This campaign has been doomed from the get-go.
“I just think they’ve got the selections completely wrong, and to have your best player by 100 yards sitting on the sideline in Steve Smith… I think it’s an insult to Steve Smith, to be honest.”
6. Form
To win a tournament you need players to peak at the right time. There may yet be an opportunity for the Aussie players to come good, but it looks unlikely. As it stands, key players are simply not performing as they should in T20 cricket.
To put their lack of form into context they have played three games thus far and lost 26 wickets. They were bowled out twice and lost six wickets against India. By contrast they have taken 14 opposition wickets.
Ireland was bowled out, but to claim just two scalps apiece against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka (in games where they were bowled out) suggests a degree of toothlessness in attack.
The two top ranked Aussie bowlers Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis each grabbed four poles in the opener against Ireland, but since then they have both gone wicketless, with Zampa conceding 72 runs in the process and Ellis going for 66.
7. Mentality
All the above factors combine to affect the mentality of a team. Australia, under the likes of Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting built a culture of winning and of outthinking their opponents when they were struggling to outperform them.
This Australian side have lost that ability. Sure, they can stand up to minnows and bully them, but when a team comes hard at them, playing good cricket, they fold too easily.
Shukri Conrad likes to talk about ‘always finding a way’ and his Proteas’ charges repeatedly do, but the current version of Australia seem all out of ideas when the going gets tough.
Read next: Why the T20 World Cup is Harry Brook’s golden chance to salvage his reputation
The post 7 reasons why things went so horribly wrong for Australia at the T20 World Cup appeared first on Cricket365.
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