With England’s nervous win over Sri Lanka on Saturday, Australia’s T20 World Cup title defense is over.
Australia have failed to make it out of Group 1 at home, retiring by virtue of their poor net run rating.
So who can keep their heads up and whose reputation has been affected by the failed campaign?
Here’s how the 15 Aussies fared at the T20 World Cup.
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AARON FINCH—5
107 runs at 53.50, SR 110.30, HS 63
The numbers make for a good read, but they’re somewhat flattering given that Finch wasn’t in his prime yet. He was better than many had feared that he would get the shape of him before the tournament, but he still struggled to time the ball well and find the right pace for his tackles. His unbeaten 31 against Sri Lanka increased his average, but they were ugly innings that saw him get very lucky on several occasions. His 63 against Ireland showed better signs of promise, but his campaign ended early with a hamstring injury. As always, it was difficult to criticize his captaincy on the field. His impact as a leader was laid bare when he came off mid-inning against Ireland, and Australia’s lead quickly vanished.
DAVID WARNER—2
44 runs at 1100, SR 107.31, HS 25
A curious tournament for Warner that never hit the target. He was brutally unlucky against New Zealand, while his dismissal against Sri Lanka still didn’t sound any alarm bells: he didn’t necessarily look like an out-of-form player. And then, surprisingly, he was completely lost when his campaign turned south. It was a loose dismissal against Ireland with Warner looking a bit unsure alongside Finch. Then, strangely enough, he opted for a switch hit against Afghanistan and was knocked through the door.
MITCH’S MARSH—4.5
106 departs at 10:50 p.m., SR 130.86, HS 45
0-14, economy 14.00
A mediocre tournament for Marsh that was never poor, but never great either. He went over 15 in his four innings, but he never really kicked like he did in last year’s World Cup final. He saved the best for last when he started strongly against Afghanistan, but 45 of 30 of his felt like a job half done by the end. Like the rest of the Aussies, he just longed for that fluidity with the bat that never came. He only pitched the one that finished for the tournament.
GLENN MAXWELL—7
118 runs at 39.33, SR 161.64, SA 54*
Three windows at 6.33, economy 6.00, BBI 2-14
Maxwell was one of Australia’s best players with the bat, hitting over 160 while going for 20-plus runs in three of his four innings. These weren’t game-changing performances for the most part, with the exception of his final blow against Afghanistan. Maxwell hit 54 of 32 balls going into No.6 and his runs ultimately proved vital to the victory after Rashid Khan’s latest heroics. He bowled surprisingly very little, but was brilliant when he did, conceding just one run while taking three wickets in just over three overs.
MARCUS STOINIS—7.5
126 runs at 4200, SR 161.53, HS 59*
One wicket at 87.00, economy 9.66, BBI 1-6
let’s start with that Sri Lankan performance. Undoubtedly Australia’s most outstanding performance in the entire tournament with daylight in second place. Stoinis pulled Australia out of trouble with an impressive 17-ball half-century that featured six sixes and four fours. It was impressive. Outside of that, there were reliable contributions against Ireland and Afghanistan, capping off what was a great overall performance with the bat from Stoinis. Australia’s best batsman in the tournament. He also bowed nine overs, although he was one of Australia’s most expensive rapids.
TIM DAVID—2
26 runs at 10pm, SR 144.44, HS 15*
After so much fuss, it wasn’t worth the wait. Not because David was poor, but because he only got to bat twice and faced 18 balls. He missed out against New Zealand, like everyone else, and then didn’t bat against Sri Lanka. David’s 15 no outs in 10 balls against Ireland ultimately ended his tournament with the batsman injuring his hamstring. He can’t win many points since he just didn’t have any impact.
MATTHEW WADE—3
15 races at 7.50, SR 100.00, HS 7*
Wade faced even fewer balls than David with just 15 deliveries sent his way. However, he had chances against New Zealand and Afghanistan, but it came cheap. As a result, his credentials as a finisher have at least taken a bit of a hit. No complaints with the gloves throughout the tournament after a neat display.
Little rolls Kiwis in sublime hat-trick | 01:27
PAT CUMMINS—3
Three windows at 44.00, economy 8.25, BBI 2-28
A disappointing tournament from the ODI and Test captain. Cummins was under pressure as the tournament progressed with his right arm struggling to make an impact. It was surprising to see Mitchell Starc lose against Afghanistan when Cummins giving up might have made more sense. Nonetheless, the 8.25-run economy over him was in line with Starc and Josh Hazlewood, though his shooting rate (32.0) was far behind.
MITCHELL STAR — 3.5
Three windows at 34.00, economy 8.50, BBI 2-43
Starc was a bit unpredictable in this World Cup, in which he only bowled three times. He was reprimanded early against New Zealand, which set the tone for the Australian campaign. Starc bounced back strongly against Sri Lanka at 1-23, while looking like he was going for business against Ireland at 2-1 from his first over. It looked like he was going to lead Australia to a massive victory that would increase the net run rate. But the rest of his night was terribly costly with his last three overs going for 41 runs. That lack of economy is what saw him break through against Afghanistan, but Starc was still one of Australia’s best threats.
ADAM ZAMPA—7
Five windows at 16.00, economy 6.66, BBI 2-19
No surprises here: Zampa excelled on the ball. After the England washout and a positive Covid test, he was only able to bowl three times. He was on the money against Ireland and Afghanistan with outstanding figures of 2-19 and 2-22. However, it must be said that he was guilty of throwing a bit full to New Zealand when the World Cup in Australia got off to a poor start. His five wickets made him Australia’s leading wicket-taker despite playing one less game.
JOSH HAZLEWOOD—6
Five windows at 24.80, economy 8.26, BBI 2-33
Australia’s most damaging rapid once again went to Josh Hazlewood, whose extra boat made him a key threat. He got the new ball for the tournament, but it didn’t really surprise anyone in advance. Like his teammates, he gave up 10+ runs and more in a rough start to the tournament against the Kiwis. He was ordered in all the rest, yes, with numbers 1-26, 0-24 and 2-33.
ASHTON AGAR: 2.5
One wicket at 25.00, economy 6.25, BBI 1-25
He played only one match when Zampa missed out against Sri Lanka with Covid. Unsurprisingly, Agar was tidy and contributed a wicket. His opportunities are limited these days, but the left-arm tweaker rarely comes across as poor for Australia. Unfortunately, he can’t score many points since he only played one game.
Australia cops super weird 5-ball over | 00:50
CAMERON GREEN — 1.5
Three races, SR 150.00
0-13, economy 6.50
He replaced Finch against Afghanistan but was out after just two balls. T20 cricket is a cruel game. He kept it tight for two overs.
STEVE SMITH-1.5
Four races, SR 100.00
Smith came on for David but didn’t last much longer than Green, holding only four balls. He got caught head-on and took a refresher with him. He made two catches on the field against Ireland as a substitute, earning him an extra point.
KANE RICHARDSON—1
1-48, economy 12.00
He controversially came in for Mitchell Starc against Afghanistan and it didn’t work out. Richardson couldn’t provide the same advantage while he wasn’t cheap either, getting 12 runs and more.
