{"id":493390,"date":"2026-02-20T23:06:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T23:06:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/493390\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T23:06:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T23:06:18","slug":"australia-exit-t20-world-cup-with-final-insult-to-steve-smith-in-win-over-oman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/493390\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia exit T20 World Cup with final \u2018insult\u2019 to Steve Smith in win over Oman"},"content":{"rendered":"

Playing only for pride after a wretched T20 World Cup<\/a> campaign, Australia<\/a> have at least signed off on an upbeat note with skipper Mitch Marsh taking out his frustration by helping smash his side to a nine-wicket victory over makeweights Oman in Sri Lanka as Steve Smith sat on the sidelines again.<\/p>\n

Looking unsurprisingly subdued in a match which had been pencilled in as a warm-up for their entry into the Super Eight stage but turned into a dispiriting \u2018dead rubber\u2019, Marsh\u2019s already eliminated side at least couldn\u2019t be faulted for professionalism as they bowed out in ruthless fashion in Pallekele on Friday.<\/p>\n

After Australia bowled out the Omanis for 104 in 16.2 overs, with Adam Zampa (4-21) starring, Marsh himself then bludgeoned an unbeaten 64 as they hurried to 1-108 with 62 balls still remaining, looking as if he couldn\u2019t wait to get home quickly enough.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

It was joint-fastest any side has chased down a 100-plus total in the T20 World Cup, but nothing was about to cheer up Marsh as he sighed afterwards: \u201cIt\u2019s a bitterly disappointed change room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve built for two years to get here and, unfortunately, we didn\u2019t play our best in a couple of games we needed to, and that\u2019s tournament play … Yeah, we\u2019re a very disappointed group.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither could Zampa be consoled by his player-of-the-match award as he scolded himself his own part in the early exit.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest with you, mate, it\u2019s been a rough few days,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a few quiet voices around the team at the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking back, I think I could have done more in the Sri Lanka game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CaptainCaptain Mitchell Marsh has smashed Australia to a consolation win over Oman at the T20 World Cup. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n

Smith was rushed into the squad ahead of Australia\u2019s second group stage match<\/a> to be on standby for Marsh, who missed the first two games with testicular bleeding.<\/a><\/p>\n

But the 36-year-old didn\u2019t get to Sri Lanka in time for the Zimbabwe game and was overlooked against Sri Lanka and again overnight against Oman, taking the field for just two overs as a sub fielder in the whole tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally feeling for this legend,\u201d cricket writer Nibraz Ramzan said of Smith.<\/p>\n

\u201cCame all the way from Australia just to take the field for two overs. It\u2019s really an insult for a player in his capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SteveSteve Smith was overlooked again in Australia\u2019s final T20 World Cup clash. Credit: Getty\/X<\/p>\n

Australia, already beaten by Zimbabwe and co-hosts Sri Lanka, had never lost to an associate nation in T20 cricket, and from the first ball, set out their stall to at least ensure they were spared that indignity.<\/p>\n

With Marsh having opted to field first, Xavier Bartlett\u2019s first delivery was a superb inswinger that smacked into the leg-stump of Aamir Kaleem via a faint inside edge and it set the tone for Australia.<\/p>\n

Zampa\u2019s 20 balls of legspin proved too troublesome for the Omani batters as he ran through the middle-order and was helped by the excellent Bartlett (2-27 off his four overs) while Glenn Maxwell made up for a dropped slip catch off Bartlett in the opening over to chip in with 2-13.<\/p>\n

Nathan Ellis (1-14) and Marcus Stoinis (1-16) both grabbed a wicket each before Marsh then went to work mercilessly, crashing 14 runs off the first over to set his stall and mowing seven fours and four sixes in all during his 33-ball assault.<\/p>\n

The Omanis, utterly outclassed, still enjoyed the most comically heartwarming moment when 38-year-old left-armer Shakeel Ahmed caused Travis Head to miscue after he\u2019d raced to 32 off 19 balls and raced wildly to take the caught-and-bowled, even barging wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla out of the way to enjoy his moment of glory.<\/p>\n

As he finally just about managed to cling on, Shakeel then offered what looked suspiciously like a Cristiano Ronaldo-style Superman celebration.<\/p>\n

Marsh\u2019s side ended up finishing third in their group, the first time they\u2019ve been eliminated in the prelims of a global event for 17 years.<\/p>\n

It left Marsh to reflect: \u201cWe\u2019ll look at it as players and as a team to ensure, if we\u2019re lucky enough to have the opportunity as a group again, that we\u2019re better.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you fail, there\u2019s always great learnings. We couldn\u2019t be more disappointed in the way that it\u2019s panned out \u2014 but we go home and we reflect and move on.\u201d<\/p>\n

– With 7NEWS<\/p>\n

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2 min read<\/p>\n

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