‘They lacked aura; it was a poor campaign’: Ponting’s blunt take on Australia’s shock exit from T20 WC

Australia lacked aura; they had their injury concerns, and overall, it was a poor campaign, according to former Australia captain and batting giant Ricky Ponting. The former title winners were knocked out of the ongoing T20 World Cup edition in India and Sri Lanka following losing two of the three contested matches, including one against Zimbabwe, and Ponting didn’t hold back in tearing into the team’s performance.

Even though Australia was without its two premier pacers, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, both out with respective injuries, and hard-hitting Tim David was unavailable for the first game, being unable to chase a modest total against Zimbabwe with most star batters lined up is no excuse, and Ponting made note of it.

Moreover, losing the next match to the tournament’s co-hosts, Sri Lanka, despite scoring close to 190, sealed their fate in this T20 WC. With Zimbabwe and Ireland's game getting washed out, Australia became the only high-profile team to fail to advance to the next round, for the first time since the 2009 edition.

"It's been a really poor campaign, it has to be said," Ponting said on the ICC Review.

"They had some injury concerns at the start with Hazlewood and Cummins being ruled out, and then Tim David not available right at the start as well. But I think just losing to Zimbabwe like they did, that's going to be the game that they're going to think back and think like that's our World Cup gone, there and then.

"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. 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,” Ponting noted.

Who stays till next edition?

Considering Australia’s T20I side is an ageing one, Ponting feels a handful of players might not be around for the next edition two years later (in Australia and New Zealand), including ‘Big Show’ Glenn Maxwell. The Aussie all-rounder had already retired from the One-Dayers and looks unlikely to continue beyond a point in the shortest format, not at least till the next Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

Ponting, however, commented on Steve Smith’s T20I future, considering his keenness to represent Australia in cricket at the Summer Games.

"Glenn Maxwell, I don't think will be there," Ponting said. "I think it looks to me like his career is coming towards an end. Marcus Stoinis would also probably be a question mark, but he's predominantly playing only T20 cricket tournaments around the world these days. Doesn't play a lot of state cricket and obviously plays the BBL, so with his all-round ability, he might be there.

"Steve Smith has been very vocal about him wanting to be a part of an Olympic team as well. Whether or not that happens is a different story,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Australia will face Oman in its last scheduled league game on Friday (Feb 20) in Pallekele.