Legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has come down heavily on the Australian T20I side following their shock group-stage exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup. After suffering defeats to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, the 2021 T20 champions found themselves eliminated before the Super 8s for the second time.
Ponting, who led Australia to four major titles — including the 2003 and 2007 ODI World Cups and the Champions Trophy in 2006 and 2009 — believes the current setup simply lacks the commanding presence that defined great Australian sides of the past.
“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,” Ponting said.
A side that once walked into ICC tournaments with an air of invincibility, Australia cut a very different figure this time around. Mitchell Marsh’s men struggled to impose themselves at any stage of the campaign, raising serious questions about the direction of the team’s T20 setup.
MISSING WHEN IT MATTERED
A key issue Ponting highlighted was the absence of seasoned match-winners when the pressure mounted. The side was without Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, both ruled out through injury, leaving a visible void in experience and firepower at crucial moments.
“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,” he said.
THE DEFEAT THAT ENDED IT ALL
Ponting was particularly candid about the loss to Zimbabwe — their first against that opposition since the inaugural T20 World Cup — calling it the moment that effectively ended Australia’s campaign.
He praised Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka for his stunning century, which powered the co-hosts to a commanding eight-wicket win, while acknowledging that Sri Lanka were always going to be difficult to beat on home soil.
“It’s been a really poor campaign, it has to be said. Just losing to Zimbabwe as they did — that’s going to be the game they look back on and think, ‘That’s where our World Cup ended, right there,'” Ponting said.
Despite his sharp criticism, Ponting was clear that his remarks came from a place of genuine care rather than personal attack. “As past players, we certainly don’t sit back and bash the current players or talk about them negatively when they don’t win. We just want to see our team do well.”
Australia will have plenty to reflect on as they consider the road ahead.
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