SYDNEY, Feb 22 (AFP): Australia coach Andrew McDonald is adamant the players he took to the Twenty20 World Cup were good enough, but the evidence suggests otherwise with a rebuild looming before they co-host the next tournament with New Zealand in 2028.
The 2021 champions were seen as title contenders again at the showpiece in India and Sri Lanka, but the former white ball heavyweights instead suffered a calamitous exit in the group stage for the first time since 2009. They head home to a significant pile-on from former Australian greats and an acerbic media who expected more.
They have been quick to lob sharp criticism at the underperforming players and perceived selection blunders.
"We said at the start of this World Cup that we were concerned about Australia," pace great Glenn McGrath told reporters, pointing to the absence of fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc as exposing a soft underbelly.
"All of a sudden, the aura of that Australian team is no longer there when other teams play it ... unfortunately, not surprising."
The warning lights were flashing before the event even started when they capitulated heavily to Pakistan in a three-game warm-up, outplayed with bat and ball.
In those matches they lost by 22, 90 and 111 runs -- the final two Australia's largest in terms of runs in T20 internationals.
At the time, skipper Mitchell Marsh said: "Absolutely no stress from our end."
That soon became: "It's a devastated group" as their T20 campaign unravelled with defeats to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
Australia's three selectors -- George Bailey, McDonald and Tony Dodemaide -- have come in for particular criticism, notably their continued faith in under-performing all-rounders Cameron Green and Cooper Connolly.
They were also blasted for their head-scratching failure to play Steve Smith and to drop in-form Matt Renshaw for the Sri Lanka clash when they were still mathematically alive.
"Look at the selections, look at (Glenn) Maxwell, Connolly, Green and (Josh) Inglis, these guys are all out of form," lamented Mark Waugh, himself a former selector.
