The reigning champions were unable to rebound from a dismal performance against New Zealand in their tournament opener of T20 World Cup 2022, failing to advance to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-finals.
What went right in T20 World Cup?
There are few positives to be found in Australia’s campaign, but they will be relieved to have finally gotten some cricket into muscular all-rounder Tim David. While David only had two hits (11 against New Zealand and 15* against Ireland), his first experience at a big event should be beneficial to the squad in the coming years. Other notable performances were few and far between, with Marcus Stoinis’ quick-fire half-century against Sri Lanka in Perth standing out as the standout individual effort in what was a poor tournament for the hosts.
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Stoinis slammed an undefeated 58 from only 18 deliveries to lead his team to victory, while Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch also struck half-centuries at various points. The bowlers worked hard as a unit, with Adam Zampa’s 2/19 against Ireland and Mitchell Starc’s two wickets in an over in the same match among the highlights.
What went wrong in T20 World Cup?
There was a lengthy list of things that went wrong for Australia as they attempted to defend their T20 World Cup title on home soil, and it began before the competition even began, with a number of important players dealing with injury worries. All-rounders Mitch Marsh and Stoinis were unable to bowl for much of the build-up, while a fluke injury to backup keeper Josh Inglis and a niggle to David Warner on the eve of the competition exacerbated their situation ahead of their tournament opener against New Zealand.
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That encounter against the Kiwis was a disaster from start to finish, and more injuries to David and Finch during the Super 12 stage only added to Australia’s woes. While the Australians were able to improve their performance in their last Super 12s encounter, narrowly defeating Afghanistan, the damage from the loss to New Zealand was too severe, and they were eliminated from the semi-finals on net run rate.
What does the future hold?
We already know that skipper Aaron Finch has retired from ODI cricket, and considering that the next T20 World Cup is still a few years away, the seasoned right-hander may follow suit in the T20I arena. Some of his fellow veterans may attempt to compete in the 2024 event in the West Indies and the United States, with David Warner and Matthew Wade among the team’s older players who may want to press on and compete in another T20 World Cup.