Australia’s disastrous ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign has sparked fierce criticism from former Test batter Mark Waugh, who has accused selectors of getting their squad planning “completely wrong” and leaving the defending champions fatally exposed by injuries and baffling omissions.
Australia were eliminated in the group stage after suffering humiliating defeats to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, ending their title defence just three years after lifting the trophy in 2021. Their fate was sealed in Pallekele, where rain washed out Zimbabwe’s match against Ireland, handing Sikandar Raza’s side the point they needed to qualify for the Super Eights alongside Sri Lanka.
Speaking on SEN Radio, Waugh said Australia’s campaign was effectively lost before it even began.
“I think that the whole campaign was doomed from the get-go with selection issues and injuries,” Waugh said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
Injury-hit squad and selection turmoil
Australia entered the tournament under a cloud, with senior fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out through injury. Explosive middle-order batter Tim David was also carrying a hamstring issue and struggled badly, recording scores of 0 against Zimbabwe and six against Sri Lanka.
Captain Mitchell Marsh missed the opening two matches with a groin concern before returning to score an influential half-century against Zimbabwe. Still, by then Australia’s margin for error had vanished.
The late addition of Steve Smith to the squad ahead of the Sri Lanka clash raised eyebrows, particularly after he was flown in but not selected in the playing XI.
“An insult to Steve Smith”
Waugh reserved his strongest criticism for the handling of Smith, calling his original omission “the most baffling non-selection” he could remember.
“To me, the non-selection of Steve Smith in the squad originally is the most baffling non-selection I can remember for ages,” Waugh said.
“I just think they have got the selections completely wrong and to have your best player by 100 yards sitting on the sideline in Steve Smith … I think it is an insult to Steve Smith, to be honest.”
Smith arrived at the World Cup on the back of a remarkable Big Bash League season with the Sydney Sixers, where he scored 299 runs in six innings at an average of 59.80 and a strike rate of 167.97, including a century and two fifties — breaking the record for most BBL centuries by a player.
Despite Australia collapsing against Sri Lanka’s spinners — losing 10 wickets for just 77 runs after a strong opening stand between Marsh and Travis Head — Smith, widely regarded as one of the best players of spin in world cricket, remained unused.
“Smith is an outstanding fielder. He’s a great player of spin. He should have been first picked, and he was not picked in the squad,” Waugh said.
“Then he was not even picked as a replacement, and then they got him over there, and they still have not played him.”
Selectors under fire
Waugh said the selection panel failed to adapt to form and conditions, accusing them of rigid planning at the expense of common sense.
“The selectors have their plans in place, but you have got to be smart enough to see which players are in form and which players are out of form,” he said.
“You have got to play the percentages a lot better than what our selectors have played at the moment. It has just been baffling.”
Smith, who last played a T20I for Australia against New Zealand in February 2024, has scored 1,094 runs in 67 T20 internationals, with five half-centuries and a top score of 90.
Zimbabwe advance, Australia crash out
Zimbabwe’s rain-affected draw with Ireland gave them five points from three matches, ensuring Australia — stuck on two points — could not catch them even with a win over Oman in their final group game.
Zimbabwe now advance to Super 8 Group G1, alongside India, South Africa and the West Indies, while Australia and Ireland bow out of the tournament.
Sri Lanka finished top of Group B after defeating Australia by eight wickets, confirming their Super Eight berth.
“True beauty of cricket”
Reacting to Australia’s stunning early exit, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said the result underlined the unpredictability of the sport.
“Australia is out of the World Cup. People never imagined it. This is the true beauty of cricket,” Shukla wrote on X.
For Australia, however, the beauty of the game has been overshadowed by searching questions about selection, planning and whether lessons will be learned before the next global tournament.
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