Bowlers, selectors under fire after Australia's T20 World Cup exit

The 2021 champions were knocked out of the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe qualified after their match against Ireland was rained off without a ball being bowled.

The washout gave each side one point, and left Australia unable to catch up.

Their campaign has been widely attacked as "shambolic".

Australia lost leading pace bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to injury, while captain Mitchell Marsh missed the first two games after being hit in the groin in training and suffering testicular bleeding.

Their pace attack has been a "shadow of former glories" without Hazlewood, Cummins or Mitchell Starc, who has retired from the format internationally, The Australian newspaper said.

Looking back on happier days, the paper recalled that Australia won five and drew one in their six T20 internationals from September 2024 to October 2025.

"The trouble is that a host of players who had been central to those series wins have fallen off a cliff when the stakes are at their highest."
'Lamb to the slaughter'
It cited "major drops" in output by Cameron Green, Tim David, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis, with series losses against India and Pakistan.

The paper attacked selection "stuff-ups", too, criticising the inclusion of Cooper Connolly as being like "throwing a lamb to the slaughter".

Test great Steve Smith was left out despite being in terrific form top of the order in the Big Bash League and his expertise in playing against spin bowling.

He flew in as cover last week and was formally added to the Australia squad at the weekend, after their surprise loss to Zimbabwe on Friday.

"We still haven't had a compelling answer as to why he wasn't yet in Colombo for the match against Zimbabwe, five days after Marsh was injured in the nets," The Australian said.

Then Smith was left out for the must-win game against Sri Lanka on Monday which saw an Australia middle-order collapse as they lost by eight wickets.

"We don't have that bowling depth, and that's really shown," former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg told British sports radio Talksport.

"We really weren't prepared enough for this particular World Cup, and we probably deserve what we've got at this stage."

Selectors and coaching staff will likely be under pressure over Australia's performance, Hogg said.

"They've got to plan. They've got to look at their depth of bowling here in Australia, especially when we lose Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc. What's our next generation going to look (like) -- that's probably going to be the big question."

British journalist Piers Morgan, who delights in needling Australia, posted his condolences along with a prayer emoji on social media: "My thoughts with @CricketAus at this very difficult time."