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Michael Clarke, the former captain, has cautioned about an imminent departure of players from Australia’s T20I squad following their disappointing performance in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup.
Australia’s journey in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup came to an end during the Super 8 stage after unexpected losses to Afghanistan and India. Despite entering the tournament as strong contenders, the team, which holds Test and ODI titles, failed to progress beyond the Super 8s.
Initially dominant in the group stage, where they won all four matches, including a victory over defending champions England, the team led by Shaun Marsh couldn’t sustain their momentum into the Super 8s.
Their Super 8 campaign began positively with a victory over Bangladesh. A subsequent win against Afghanistan would have secured their spot in the semifinals. However, a 21-run loss to Afghanistan, their first-ever defeat against them in any format, followed by another loss to India, sealed their exit from the competition.
Michael Clarke says The selectors should have an eye on the next World Cup
Following Australia’s disappointing performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup, Michael Clarke emphasized the urgency for selectors to begin planning for the next tournament without delay. He suggested that David Warner’s tenure in T20Is might not be the only one ending soon for Australian players.
The former captain, who led Australia to victory in the ODI World Cup, suggested that several current team members could be considering retirement from T20Is. When asked about the age of many Australian players being over 30, Clarke expressed little concern about age and implied that he wouldn’t be surprised if most players decided to step away from T20Is.
“I think now is the time, to be honest. I used to think, leading up to the World Cup, you play your best team, and age does not matter. But, after the World Cup campaign, the selectors should have an eye on the next World Cup. I don’t think Dave will be the only one who played his last game for Australia,” Michael Clarke said on ESPN’s Around the Wicket.
“I’m not too concerned about how old the players are, but I think with how much cricket we have, and just about all these guys getting involved in the domestic T20 leagues around the world, and not just the IPL. That’s going to take up more time and commitment as well. So, I’d be surprised if there’s not a number of players that didn’t play their last T20I game for Australia,” Clarke added.
