Mark Waugh has given the Australian selectors a huge whack, deeming their T20 World Cup campaign “doomed from the get-go”.
The Aussies won’t advance past the group stage of the tournament, thanks to losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
They have been without injured star bowling pair Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, while Mitchell Starc retired from the format.
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Their unavailability was a huge blow for an Aussie team that ultimately struggled to take wickets, but Waugh is particularly frustrated by the non-selection of Steve Smith.
The 36-year-old was initially left out of the squad, before being flown over as an injury-replacement. Despite that, he wasn’t even picked for the loss to Sri Lanka.
Mark Waugh frustrated on Steve Smith’s behalf. Getty
“I think that the whole campaign was doomed from the get-go with selection issues and injuries,” Waugh told SENQ on Tuesday.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
Waugh doubled down on picking players in form, saying Smith should have been named on his BBL dominance, let alone the rest of his accomplishments.
“Look at the selections. Look at Maxwell, Connolly, Green and Inglis, these guys are all out of form,” Waugh said.
Glenn Maxwell of Australia looks dejected after the loss to Sri Lanka. Â ICC via Getty Images
“Maxwell and Connolly have not made a run for three months between them.
“The selectors have their plans in place, but you’ve got to be smart enough to see which players are in form and which players are out of form, and you’ve got to play the percentages a lot better than what our selectors have played at the moment.
“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 … I think it’s an insult to Steve Smith, to be honest.”
Australia will face Oman in the final match of the group stage. Both teams have already been eliminated, with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe advancing.
It’s unclear whether Smith will be named for what is ultimately a dead-rubber.