Australia won the first ever T20 international match held at the Eden Park in Auckland, defeating New Zealand in 2005.
In a country with such rich cricketing history, how is it possible they haven’t won a World Cup in the Twenty20 format. Unlike in ODIs, the cricketing world never considers them to be the favourite, irrespective of the venues.
They show their exceptional talents in the ODIs and Tests, but realistically the question is how long Australia need to wait to win this elusive T20 trophy. Let’s see where they are actually going wrong.
Their poor show in T20s is due to their hefty schedule. When the Sub-Continent teams like India or Pakistan decides to play against the Aussies, the tour is scheduled in such a manner that the visiting team has to play four Tests and five ODIs, if not a tri series.
The one or two T20s are a sideshow between the Test and ODIs, and don’t create much excitement for the players or the fans. Players like David Warner and Steve Smith always try to skip this exciting format, suggesting it’s not their priority. The players are exhausted and probably right in skipping these matches, but suddenly, when the World Cup arrives they aren’t able to find the right combination.
This is clearly evident, when India toured Australia in the beginning of this year. Australia showed their supremacy in ODIs but struggled to repeat the same in T20s. They were trying to test the squad in order to find the right balance, but ended up on the losing side of that series. Many could argue that the players were rested due to the vital New Zealand tour. That is right, as is the approach, but the timing for the long term is wrong. They shouldn’t have been rested before the World T20.
Injuries and retirement have been their main enemies. The spearhead Mitchell Starc was injured at the wrong time. Mitchell Johnson’s retirement came as a rapid downfall for the Aussies. Two crucial T20 cogs gone.
Inexperience will also be a factor. With spin going to be the main focus in India, they have included the South Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa in their campaign. The 23-year-old hasn’t played a single T20 in subcontinental conditions. Zampa is a fine player, but how can he be best placed to succeed with such a preparation?
This is not the first time Australia have tried this; sending out inexperienced players to perform straight away on the biggest stages. Last time, in Bangladesh, they went with James Muirhead, who made his debut against England just before the World T20. Unfortunately, his last game was against the Indians at the same tournament. Likewise, they are going in with young Zampa, in a place where they are yet to register their first T20 win.
Next up is Shane Watson’s batting slot. He’s been an impact player for Australia at the top of the innings, but he couldn’t quite to justify his potential over the course of a long career, especially batting low down the order.
Watson’s influence at the top with David Warner was clearly apparent in World Cups in 2010 and 2012 respectively. The blistering hundred against the Indians at the SCG shows destructive he is. He’s been part of the IPL, since the inaugural season in 2008. The great experience he has had on Indian Pitches is very important for Australia. He needs to be there.
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