The Australian cricket team have stumbled to eight losses in the last 10 Twenty20 Internationals and they will be heading into the ICC World T20 2021 low on confidence.
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Eight Twenty20 International losses in the last 10 matches. An identical scoreline of 1-4 to West Indies and Bangladesh. Only two scores of over 150+ in the last two months. That is the current situation of the Australia cricket team ahead of the ICC World T20 2021. If preparations are a yardstick to go by, then it seems that the Australian cricket team might even struggle to make an impact in the ICC World T20 even before a ball is bowled.
One can argue that the Australian side is lacking some star powers. There is no David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell. But, even then, the nature of the losses to West Indies and Bangladesh once again expose the core weakness of the Australian cricket team. The weakness against spin was in full flow in their eight losses in the Caribbean and in Bangladesh.
In the series against West Indies, Hayden Walsh took 12 wickets in five games. The legspinner had cast a big web on the Australian team. In the entire series, only Mitchell Marsh averaged over 40 and with a strike rate of 152. The next best average was 25.4 by Aaron Finch. But, the lack of proper contributions from the batsmen, especially against spin, has proven to be fatal for Australia.
Against Bangladesh, their fortunes suffered an even bigger dip. Mitchell Marsh was the key as he averaged 31 in the five matches. Nasum Ahmed and Shakib Al Hasan, left-arm spinners, were the chief destroyers. Legspin or left-arm orthodox spin, Australia’s current squad cannot play any of the variations. The fifth T20I against Bangladesh was the low point for Australian cricket where they were bowled out for 62, their lowest score in history.
Australia’s key players will play the IPL and also the ICC World T20. But, there is a murmuring that the key players might not make a comeback into the national team in an easy manner. The current scenario in which Australia’s players find themselves, in addition to not getting easy slots back, all adds up to a lethal combination.
The ICC World T20 has been the poisoned chalice for Australian cricket in the last 14 years. In 2007, 2010, and 2012, they registered their best performance by reaching the semi-finals twice and the final. Even when they had the core of the players, they struggled in this format. 2009, 2014, and 2016, the Australian team has struggled for impact. In spinning conditions, with the exception of Sri Lanka, Australia was knocked out in the first rounds in India and Bangladesh. This kind of preparation is not ideal for Australia if they have to break their hoodoo in World T20s.
Many Australian players might play the IPL. However, they are caught up in a big time in the scheduling conflict. After the end of the IPL and ICC World T20, Australia’s players have a low turnaround time for the Ashes. The five-Test series is the ultimate hope for both England and Australia. They will not be wanting to take it lightly.
Australia are in a group that will involve England, South Africa and West Indies. There might also be Sri Lanka joining the side. Australia have not had a good record against South Africa in the last couple of years. They have lost ODI and Test series against the Proteas but have done well in T20Is. South Africa have whitewashed Australia twice in ODIs while in Tests, they have not lost since 2013.
After the thrashing against the West Indies, Australia have not enjoyed limited-overs matches against England. In ODIs and T20Is, be it in England or Australia, they have struggled. The present struggles, plus team composition and selection issues, have meant that Australia face an uphill task for impact in the World T20. “This is not good enough for an Australian team,” Matthew Wade remarked after the end of the match.
The current squad has had players who have played enough international cricket to ensure they can provide a challenge. But, the current bench of the Australian side is not inspiring enough confidence. Unlike India or England, the Australian bench strength and the current squad are in a period of decline which will hurt them in all formats.
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