(Source Skysports)
Australia’s exit from the T20 World Cup 2024 was sealed by Afghanistan’s victory over them in a crucial match. Following Afghanistan’s subsequent win against Bangladesh, Australia found themselves out of the tournament.
In the Super 8 stage, Australia suffered defeats to both Afghanistan and India, needing a win against India to stay in contention, which they couldn’t achieve.
Reflecting on Australia’s campaign, former captain Mark Taylor highlighted the absence of Steve Smith, suggesting that Smith’s adaptability and batting prowess would have been beneficial in the Caribbean conditions. Apart from Glenn Maxwell’s 54, the Australian batsmen struggled against Afghanistan’s bowling attack while chasing a target of 149 runs.
Mark Taylor says Steve Smith Would Have Suited To Slow Wickets
“I still think Australia should have picked Steve Smith and I thought that when they first left him out of the squad. If you look at the Afghanistan game, when you get a slow, turning wicket as they did, I would want Steve Smith in my side. He has the tools to play well in those conditions more than most players in that Australian side, if not all of them” Taylor said.
According to the former Australian captain, the spinning pitches in the Caribbean demanded batters with solid technique, a role for which Steve Smith was well-suited.
“That’s where I think Australia missed out. Smith batting anywhere from four to seven would have been better than the players that we had on a slow, turning wicket. If you get those sorts of surfaces, you want players who are good batters and not just necessarily good hitters,” he added.
Smith had limited game time in T20Is leading up to the T20 World Cup and also missed IPL 2024, potentially impacting his selection chances.
The former Australian captain also criticized the decision to persist with David Warner instead of considering Jake Fraser-McGurk, who was included in the reserves after a standout IPL 2024 performance, scoring 330 runs at a remarkable strike rate of nearly 235.
“With the Fraser-McGurk and Warner thing, I think that was a 50/50 call. You could have gone either way and mounted a good case either way on who should play,” he said.
Following Australia’s exit from the World Cup, David Warner announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Having already retired from Test and ODI formats, Warner confirmed that the T20 World Cup marked his final international appearance for Australia.
