National selector Tony Dodemaide has reiterated that champion batter Steve Smith was only considered an injury replacement for the openers in Australia’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign, also jumping to the defence of the out-of-form Cameron Green.
Australia is set to conduct a full-scale investigation into the “disappointing” T20 World Cup performance, where the team was knocked out in the group stage of a World Cup event for the first time since 2009.
Having suffered defeats and Zimbabwe and co-hosts Sri Lanka in the pools, Australia cannot progress to the Super Eights stage of the tournament even if the 2021 champions defeat Oman on Friday.
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1 >
“It’s really disappointing the way the tournament has rolled out,” Dodemaide told reporters on Wednesday.
“But we will need some time, and take some time, once we finish our last commitment – it’s important that we finish strongly on Friday against Oman – then we’ll get back and analyse it fully.”
Despite suboptimal preparation and the humiliating series whitewash against Pakistan, the national selectors put their faith behind a middle-order that was struggling for form heading into the tournament, with the big-hitting batters failing to adapt to the subcontinent’s foreign conditions.
Get all the latest cricket news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now >
Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, former Australian captain Matthew Hayden compared the team’s shambolic lead-up to the T20 World Cup to that of England ahead of the recent Ashes campaign.
“The reaction back home has been rather heavy because I think we’ve been sold down the stream a little bit in terms of our selection and how we’ve gone about preparing for this T20 World Cup,” Hayden said.
“It sort of smacks of England, and their questions in the Ashes preparation – this kind of self-fulfilling prophecy of ‘we’re OK’ and ‘no, don’t worry’. It’s a mix of denial and maybe even just mismanagement.
“We enjoy coming to countries like Sri Lanka but we just haven’t prepared for what we’ve seen. We’ve picked power hitters in finesse type conditions.
“(It’s) almost like stubbornness but there is a plan A. And that plan A is called power. And it’s a day and age of power. In India, that’s certainly the case.
“These conditions, though, are different. They’re not such pure batting surfaces, and that requires methodology. It almost requires a bit more of an old-school approach and way of thinking about the game that allows you to stay in the contest.”
Big Bash games to be played in India? | 01:20
Smith, fresh off a remarkable Big Bash League campaign with the Sydney Sixers, wasn’t named in Australia’s preliminary T20 World Cup squad, while he also wasn’t picked for the warm-up T20 tour of Pakistan.
When fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to injury, the national selection opted against replacing him in the 15-player squad, choosing to enter the tournament a man down rather than recalling Smith.
The decision backfired when captain Mitchell Marsh sustained a testicular injury on the eve of Australia’s first match against Ireland, with Smith receiving a last-minute SOS to join the touring party in Sri Lanka.
But the New South Welshman didn’t arrive in the subcontinent in time for the crucial group-stage match against Zimbabwe, when Australia collapsed to 4-29 before suffering a shock 23-run defeat, ultimately leading to their premature elimination.
“We see him primarily as at the top and that’s where he’s come into the squad as cover for that area,” Dodemaide said of Smith.
“He was only really available for game three, which was the game that we had our best performed pairing, which is (Marsh) and Head, who did extremely well.
“If we got more moving parts and we had to think of things differently, then that’s a different story, but certainly now Steve still retains his place as cover for that opening position.”
Matthew Renshaw, currently Australia’s leading run-scorer for the tournament, was dropped for Monday’s must-win match against Sri Lanka in Kandy despite top-scoring during the Zimbabwe defeat, making way for Marsh’s return.
The under-pressure Cameron Green, who hasn’t notched a half-century in any format since November, kept his spot at No. 3 for the Sri Lanka contest ahead of Smith and Renshaw, stumped for 3 (7) to spark a dreadful collapse of 9-71.
“Green has just looked awful with the bat,” Hayden continued.
“He looks woody, he looks tinny, he looks like he’s just a man with no confidence, and I’d be very surprised if that’s not exactly the case.
“Matt Renshaw has come with no baggage to this tournament. He actually had a really good series back home in Australia in the ODIs. He’s been a man that’s been very ill treated – there’s no doubt he should be in the Test team too.”
Dodemaide leapt to Green’s defence, acknowledging the West Australian all-rounder showed promising signs against Pakistan and had an exceptional record in T20Is last year, averaging 43.00 with a strike rate of 168.62 across eight matches.
“His record has been very, very good for us in 2025, and pre-tournament in Pakistan (where) he was our best batter,” Dodemaide said.
“Cam’s still developing his game across all formats and that needs to be balanced with what he can do physically.
“He’s a very fine player who is important for us in all formats, but in terms of nuancing his commitments from time-to-time we’ll look at that in more depth as part of the wider review.”
Gilly on Smiths spot in AUS T20 WC? | 07:30
Dodemaide also confessed that injury setbacks compromised the team’s T20 World Cup quest, with the short turnaround following the home summer creating plenty of headaches for the national selectors.
“Those injury concerns are something that do arise and can arise quite late,” Dodemaide said.
“When you do get injury concerns that compromise your squad, like as a result of series in the meantime, whether it’s the Ashes, whether it’s BBL, then that does present some challenges.”
The absence of Hazlewood and fellow paceman Pat Cummins was sorely felt as Australia mustered only four wickets across 38 overs against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, with the team’s second-tier bowling attack failing to step up to the task. The superstar duo is expected to still be available for the upcoming Indian Premier League campaign, which Dodemaide attributed to unfortunate timing.
“It is what it is,” he said.
“It’s a timing issue. If it was in reverse, the IPL was first and the World Cup was second, then they’d be missing the IPL to play in the World Cup.
“It’s not going to be frustrating for us at all. We know their commitment to want to play and succeed for Australia.”
Australia will co-host the next edition of the T20 World Cup alongside New Zealand in late 2028, giving the national white-ball team more than two years to rebuild.
“We want to win every World Cup, no matter where it is,” Dodemaide said.
“Clearly, the next one is at home. We’d love to do well at home.
“We’ve got a commitment within 48 hours or so against Oman and we want to finish off really well.
“We will do the requisite planning to look at 2028; we’ve got the 2027 50-over World Cup in the meantime. All these things will be mapped out when we get time and space, and we can cut out the emotion of it and look at it more forensically.”
Australia will next face Oman at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, with the first ball scheduled for 12.30am AEDT.
Discussion about this post