Former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh has expressed his discontent with the selection committee's choices for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, stating that the team's campaign was 'doomed from the start' due to injury setbacks.

In a surprising turn of events, rain in Pallekele granted Zimbabwe a crucial point, allowing them to advance to the Super Eight alongside Sri Lanka. This resulted in the early exit of the 2021 champions, who faced disappointing defeats against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka after initially winning against Ireland.

Injury Challenges for Australia

Australia entered the tournament grappling with significant injury concerns, losing key players like Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Additionally, star batsman Tim David struggled with a hamstring issue, resulting in poor performances with scores of 0 against Zimbabwe and 6 against Sri Lanka. Captain Mitchell Marsh also faced a groin injury, missing the first two matches but later returned to score a vital fifty against Zimbabwe.

Waugh Questions Omission of Steve Smith

Steve Smith was added to the Australian squad just before the match against Sri Lanka, following an impressive season in the Big Bash League (BBL) where he set a record for the most centuries. Waugh criticized Smith's initial exclusion, calling it 'baffling' given his proficiency against spin bowlers.

In the BBL, Smith accumulated 299 runs in six innings, averaging 59.80 with a strike rate of 167.97, including a century and two fifties.

Waugh's Insights on Smith's Skills

Waugh highlighted Smith's exceptional ability to handle spin, noting that during the match against Sri Lanka, Australia lost all ten wickets for just 77 runs after a solid opening partnership of 104 runs between Marsh and Travis Head, with spinners claiming six of the eight wickets.

In his T20I career, Smith has scored 1,094 runs in 67 matches, averaging 24.86 with a strike rate exceeding 125, including five fifties and a top score of 90. His last T20I appearance was against New Zealand in February 2024, where he managed only four runs.

Waugh also pointed out Smith's fielding prowess and criticized the management for not utilizing him despite bringing him to Sri Lanka.

Final Thoughts on Selection Strategy

Waugh concluded by emphasizing the need for selectors to recognize players' current forms and make strategic decisions accordingly. He expressed disappointment over the selectors' choices, stating, 'It has just been baffling.'

Australia's next match is against Oman on February 20 in Pallekele.