Australian cricket legend Mark Waugh has openly criticised the selectors for leaving Steve Smith out of the initial squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, describing it as “the most baffling non-selection” and calling it an insult to the senior batter. His comments came after Australia’s disappointing start to the tournament.
Following a shock defeat to Zimbabwe in a Group B clash, the 2021 champions suffered another setback against co-host Sri Lanka, who delivered a dominant performance to move into the Super Eight stage. With two losses in as many matches, Australia’s progression is now out of their control.
Selection Issues And Preparation Under Fire
Waugh did not hold back in his assessment of the team’s preparation and selection strategy. “I think that the whole campaign was doomed from the get-go with selection issues and injuries. I think preparation hasn’t been great. It’s all unfolded probably the way I thought it would, even though we’re in a pretty weak group,” he said.
He particularly questioned the original omission of Smith from the squad despite his strong performances in the Big Bash League. “I know you can’t please everybody, and sometimes there are tough calls that can go either way, but to me, the non-selection of Steve Smith in the squad originally is the most baffling non-selection I can remember for ages. I mean, here you’ve got a guy who has looked a class above everybody in the BBL.”
Although Smith was later added to the squad ahead of the crucial match against Sri Lanka, he was not included in the playing XI, which further puzzled Waugh. “He’s an outstanding fieldsman. He’s a great player of spin. He should have been first picked, and he wasn’t picked in the squad… then he wasn’t even picked as a replacement, and then they’ve got him over there, and they still haven’t played him,” he added.
Form Concerns And Road Ahead
Waugh also expressed confusion over Matt Renshaw’s omission after scores of 37 and 65 in the first two games. “Then you’ve got Matt Renshaw, who looks like he’s one of the few players in form, and he’s left out of the big game last night. T20 cricket is the hardest format to find form in.”
“You need to pick players who are in form, because the batsman doesn’t get time to build his confidence. Look at the selections. Look at Maxwell, Connolly, Green and Inglis; these guys are all out of form. Maxwell and Connolly have not made a run for three months between them.”
Calling Smith’s omission disrespectful, Waugh concluded, “It’s just been baffling some of the selections, and injuries haven’t helped obviously. I just think they’ve got the selections completely wrong and to have your best player by 100 yards sitting on the sideline in Steve Smith… I think it’s an insult to Steve Smith, to be honest.”
After the eight-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka, Australia now face the possibility of an early exit. They must rely on Ireland defeating Zimbabwe while securing a strong, net run rate-boosting win over Oman. Even then, their fate may come down to net run rate depending on other results.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.