‘It’s been a really poor campaign, it has to be…’ : Ricky Ponting on Australia’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign

“It’s been a really poor campaign, it has to be said. They had some injury concerns at the start with (Josh) Hazlewood and (Pat) Cummins being ruled out and then Tim David not available right at the start as well. But I think just losing to Zimbabwe like they did, that’s going to be the game that they’re going to think back and think like that’s our World Cup gone, there and then. I think looking at the pool before the start of the tournament, I felt Sri Lanka would be difficult to beat at home and that’s certainly the way it turned out. They played really well against Australia. That was an amazing run chase when you look at it. That sort of score is never an easy one to chase down. But to think that Zimbabwe outplayed Australia in an ICC event, it’s those opportunities that you can’t afford to give up in a tournament like this.” Ponting said on The ICC Review.

In the last nine editions of the T20 World Cup, Australia have only won the title once with their maiden title coming in the 2021 T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman. The team reached the final in the 2010 T20 World Cup and also has two semi-final appearances in the T20 World Cup in the years 2007 and 2008. In the last two T20 World Cups, Australia reached the Super 12 and Super 8 stages before being knocked out of the events. Ponting believes the current Australian t20 team does not have the sort of aura around it as compared to the other Australian teams going into the World Cups. The former captain also shared how the team has not got enough runs from their top order with Cameron Green batting at number three and Tim David at number four after missing the opening game.

“I think I said to you the other day that you look at that Australian team on paper, it just doesn’t look to have that sort of aura around it that a lot of other Australian teams have going into ICC events and World Cups. You need to have your best players and your most experienced players standing up and winning big moments for you in these tournaments if you want to go ahead and win and Australia haven’t had that. They probably haven’t got enough out of their top order batting with Cameron Green at No.3, and then Tim David coming in at No.4 for the last couple of games. Those two haven’t fired and Australia have lost early wickets certainly in the game against Zimbabwe. They went off to a great start the other night (against Sri Lanka) and then to lose six for 20, I think it was in the last four or five overs, taking no momentum at all into the second part of the game,” added Ponting.

Australia will co-host the next T20 World Cup with New Zealand in 2028 and the country also can have a possible appearance at the 2028 LA Olympics based on the rankings. When asked about the players in Australia’s plans for the years ahead, Ponting pointed out that he does not see Glen Maxwell in the next T20 World Cup and the team will need some changes too.

“I think Mitchell Marsh will probably hang on long enough for that and I think Travis Head will definitely be around and (Josh) Inglis will be around. Steve Smith has been very vocal about him wanting to be a part of an Olympic team as well. Whether or not that happens is a different story. Cameron Green will be around if in fact his form is good enough to stay in the side. That’s another bit of a worry I think for Australia, certainly across Test match cricket and probably T20 cricket, what we saw in this World Cup. You would think Nathan Ellis would be around, Xavier Bartlett will be there. Cooper Connolly would be there and thereabouts. Glenn Maxwell, I don’t think will be there. I think it looks to me like his career is coming towards an end. Marcus Stoinis would also probably be a question mark, but he’s predominantly playing only T20 cricket tournaments around the world these days. Doesn’t play a lot of state cricket and obviously plays the BBL, so with his all round ability, he might be there. So there will be some change. Matthew Kuhnemann he’s young enough to still be around as well if they decide to have two spinners in their lineups. So there could be some changes, but I guess, I mean, we’re still, what are we, 18 months away from that, two years away from that happening. So let’s wait and see,” concluded Ponting.