Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has given a frank assessment of Australia’s disappointing campaign at the Men's T20 World Cup, describing the team’s performances as “really poor” and well below the standards expected of an established team. Australia’s title hopes were ruined early after managing just one win from their first three matches. The results left them unable to qualify for the Super Eights stage. And their upcoming final group match against Oman is just a mere formality, as they have already been knocked out.
"It's been a really poor campaign, it has to be said. They had some injury concerns at the start with (Josh) Hazlewood and (Pat) Cummins being ruled out, and then Tim David not available right at the start as well," Ponting said on ICC Review.
"But I think just losing to Zimbabwe as they did, that's going to be the game that they're going to think back and think like that's our World Cup gone, there and then."
"I think looking at the pool before the start of the tournament, I felt Sri Lanka would be difficult to beat at home and that's certainly the way it turned out. They played really well against Australia. That was an amazing run chase when you look at it. That sort of score is never an easy one to chase down.
"But to think that Zimbabwe outplayed Australia in an ICC event, it's those opportunities that you can't afford to give up in a tournament like this."
Ponting implied that the current line-up lacked the needed aura. Ponting, never one to shy away from honest analysis, suggested that Australia failed to execute in key moments and that their top order didn't get enough runs.
"I think I said to you the other day that you look at that Australian team on paper, it just doesn't look to have that sort of aura around it that a lot of other Australian teams have going into ICC events and World Cups. You need to have your best players and your most experienced players standing up and winning big moments for you in these tournaments if you want to go ahead and win and Australia haven't had that," Ponting said.
"They probably haven't got enough out of their top order batting with Cameron Green at No.3, and then Tim David coming in at No.4 for the last couple of games. Those two haven't fired and Australia have lost early wickets certainly in the game against Zimbabwe. They went off to a great start the other night (against Sri Lanka) and then to lose six for 20, I think it was in the last four or five overs, taking no momentum at all into the second part of the game," he said.
"Once again, there's just little areas that you have to win that Australia haven't been able to win. As a past player and these WhatsApp groups that we're on, we certainly don't sit back and bash the current players or talk about them in a negative way when they don't win. We just want to see our team do well. So, unfortunately, that hasn't happened over the last couple of weeks. And that's something that group of players has to live with," Ponting added.