The World Twenty20 is coming.
Not quite as big as a World Cup. Not quite as small as a tri-series tournament.
Perhaps its status is best left in purgatory.
Neither one thing or the other.
A bit like Bob Cunis.
Unfortunately, Australia has treated this upcoming tournament as a distraction rather than a goal.
It’s head really is not in the game.
It didn’t need to be this way. It had plenty of opportunity to get it right.
It has chosen not to.
By the time this ICC event starts in India, Australia would have only played three T20 internationals in the preceding 16 months.
Three.
Correct.
Just three.
Now, even the uneducated man can clearly deduce that this causes problems should your want be to win this thing.
For example, what is Australia’s best XI?
The answer to that question is far from clear.
In the current T20I series against India, the Australians have played 6 debutants.
Boland, Lyon, Tye, Khawaja, Bancroft and Head.
That’s not the sign of a settled side.
When Nathan Lyon finally got his shot, he was given just one over.
Chairman of Selectors Rod Marsh famously stated that Lyon doesn’t get much of a go in shorter forms of the game because he wants to “ensure his confidence remains high”.
Playing Australia’s greatest ever off spinner and giving him just 6 balls probably will not help that.
Speaking of Rod Marsh, one must question whether he is best placed to help select the side.
Test and ODI cricket is one thing. But T20 is a totally different game.
Fellow selector Mark Waugh should be well placed, having sat in the commentary box for most of the Big Bash.
He has been observing the local talent, watching how the latest strategies unfold and surrounded by a production team feeding him all the stats and data he will ever need.
But he was part of a crew that decided to play Shaun Tait. Supposedly, he was the answer to some undisclosed question.
Potentially, Australia could do with a separate selection panel for T20 internationals. Maybe one made up of list managers of the best Big Bash franchises. These are the guys who are recruiting the best players from around the world on a daily basis.
In 2014, George Bailey stood down from the T20I captain to focus on getting back in the Test side. He was replaced by Aaron Finch.
That’s two poor decisions right there.
The best Australian side likely has Steve Smith, George Bailey, Shane Watson and David Warner in it. All are ahead of Finch in the captaincy stakes.
The ICC rank Finch as the world’s best T20 batsman. He isn’t.
It is arguable that he doesn’t belong in Australia’s best XI.
On form, Warner, Khawaja, Shaun Marsh and even Tim Payne all have serious claims.
If there is one area that Australia have strength, it is the batting depth.
However, where it lacks is its bowling.
Not that they don’t exist. We just don’t know who the best ones for the team are or how to use them.
For example, given the World Twenty20 is being played in India, who are the spinners?
India are quite settled on Ashwin and Jadeja. Australia haven’t worked out if it is Lyon, Maxwell, Zampa, Boyce or some other random, yet to be named player.
Who bowls during the first 6 powerplay overs? Who closes out the innings?
Australia’s fascination with all rounders still looms large.
Faulkner, Mitch Marsh, Hastings, Boland, Watson and Maxwell.
None can carry the attack, no matter how much faith is put into them.
Only four legitimate all rounders appear in the top 20 of the ICC T20 bowling rankings. These being Ashwin, Afridi, Ahakib and Mathews.
That should be a strong enough clue as to how the team should be made up.
The loss of Mitch Starc to injury is a serious hole.
Rather than plug it with a legitimate bowler, the selectors are using bits and pieces cricketers to close the gap.
It doesn’t work.
Australia will now head into this tournament not knowing what its best batting line up is, who its best bowlers are or how to best use them.
It has similarities to England’s disastrous 2015 ODI World Cup campaign.
Australia may be great at running T20 tournaments, but a systematic lack of planning tells us it is awful at managing its T20 international side.
Still not convinced?
Then how about this:
Nepal have a greater winning percentage at the ICC World Twenty20 than Australia.
Fact.
Why Australia Can’t Win The ICC World Twenty20 (Part II)
- The Curious Case of Fawad Alam - August 4, 2020
- Why I’m Scared of Travelling to Pakistan - February 19, 2020
- Why Islamabad United Won’t Improve Your Sex Life and How To Fix It - January 2, 2020
- The Only Honest Review of The PSL 2020 Draft on the Internet - December 7, 2019
- Dennis Does The World Cup: My essential guide to a very un-international international cricket tournament - June 2, 2019
DennisCricket_ all good points. would like to add, they are in a really tough group alongside SA, Ind, Nzl and Pak with only 2 to qualify.
MehtaMorphosis This is also true
There shouldn’t be a international T20 tournament. Leave it for domestic competitions.
DennisCricket_ 3 T20s v India now and 3 T20s v South Africa in March prior to World T20
Agree with muddled selection – back to bad ways
Great article. Marsh & Waugh need to go. End of story.
SlatsRoss Forgot about the Saffa games.
Allan Border shares this view
It’ll happen one day if they stand up to India. They’re the only country really wanting it.
DennisCricket_ Easy to do – Australian team is now doing ‘micro’ tours!
The selectors don’t get T-20 cricket
DennisCricket_ MehtaMorphosis SA not in Australia’s group, but doesn’t change the fact that we won’t progress.
DennisCricket_
1.They’re not playing to their strengths(like India wasn’t in the ODI series)
2.Steve Smith(c)>Aaron Finch(c)
3.No Starc.
MulcahyLiam DennisCricket_ yep my bad. It’s Lanka instead but that doesn’t make it easier either in those conditions.
Rob Michael Are you series? Five different countries have won the tournament..And India has played the least no. of T20 matches among top 8 nations..On what basis do you say only India wants this tournament? Every nation except Aus care about it..Even Aus would care about the tournament when it is played in Australia because they have realized they can’t win anything when they play anywhere other than their flat concrete roads.
DennisCricket_ I remember reading a similar article from yourself before ashes on why England will lose the ashes. Did they? :-p
MehtaMorphosis DennisCricket_ pretty sure SL is in the other group too. 5th team is a minnow. We may struggle to beat them.
And now Shane ‘bloody watto’ Watson is the captain.
DennisCricket_ England were in a worse state in 2009 before the WT20. This was their team http://m.espncricinfo.com/rsaveng09/engine/current/match/387564.html http://twitter.com/AndyinBrum/status/693342232422785024/photo/1
RT DennisCricket_: Why Aus can’t win the ICC World Twenty20. It is not because of a weakness against spin.
It’s deeper than (1/2)
that.
https://dennisdoescricket.com/why-australia-cant-win-the-icc-world-twenty20/ (2/2)
DennisCricket_ why was white dropped again from T20Is he played well the last time didn’t he?
AndyinBrum DennisCricket_ Petrivz Who the hell is Abdullah? When did he play for SA?
Exactly the point, Australia doesn’t hav a quality spinner for the shorter format of the game. In Lyon, they’v one but thy r not utilising him well enough.
Uggggh, yes…the ‘concrete roads’.
They’re called drop in pitches.
The subcontinent serves up dust bowls, and you’ll always find seaming green decks in NZ & England.
Everybody does it, get off your high horse champ.
What’s your thoughts on the best side Dennis?
I’m surprised Ben Laughlin isn’t getting a crack. Great variations.
Wade, while not a bad player, simply isn’t suited to hitting it over the rope and plays those horrible ramp shots.
Faulkner is horribly out of touch.
Uzzie has proved me wrong and is in fine form, could play the stable hand role aka Mike Hussey (who could probably still play for Australia in 20/20).
Maxwell has all the talent in the world, but has the decision making process akin to a drunk 18yr old.
Good question. I haven’t thought too much about this, but would probably go Warner, Finch, Usman, Bailey, Lynn, Watson, Wade, Faulkner, Hastings, Starc (if fit…if not Bollinger), Lyon
DennisCricket_ too much relies on a top order batsmen scoring big. If not the batting fails. Bowling leaks too many runs. #AUSvIND