2026 T20 WORLD CUP Feb 7 - Mar 8, in India & SL

[Wizardman]

Our side was pretty much doomed through injury to some key bowlers as well as its total inability from the majority of the squad to play spin. Our selectors have played their part in this mess as well. To have not selected at first then not played Smith is an absolute embarrassment. To not select him based on a fairly dated t20 record and ignoring his big bash and experience on the sub-continent is crazy.

Glenn Maxwell has now hit the point where he needs to be judged on form and not reputation. I agreed with his selection due to past deeds but after a lean bbl and wc, we can't carry him any longer.

 

[simmo1]

Paid the price for disregarding BBl form. Seems crazy, but I'd have thought picking blokes who had played well in the 2 month long T20 tournament played just completed would have been a good idea.

 

[Wizardman]

A guy like Cooper Conolly should not be an automatic selection. What has he done in any point of his career to be picked over Smith? His Big Bash was awful...never got going.

 

[Bazal]

Lol our selectors are f**ked.

Green, David, Inglis, Maxwell, Stoinis, Connolly all picked out of form. We're carrying most of our batting line up on potential AND we haven't picked Smith who's on fire AND for some reason we dropped our best bat of the first two games?

You can probably carry Green and David. Genuine all rounder and one of the most damaging bats around at least makes sense. But carrying all of them is insane

 

[Cheese sandwich]

Connolly will be airlifted into the side as much as Green

 

[Twizzle]

my god we suck at T20

 

[Fangs]

Haven't watched an over of this T20WC yet. Doesn't seem like I'm missing much.

Why on earth have we iced out Smith? Did it at the last WC here in Australia as well. He is clearly in our 6 best bats.

Bowling looks quite inexperienced. So not expecting them to set the world on fire. Cummins or Haze would have been a huge inclusion.

And somehow we are still in it. Need to clean up Oman and hope Ireland does the business against Zimbabwe.

 

[King-Gutho94]

After the way Smudge was treated here.

Does anyone blame him if he tells Bailey and McDonald to shove it in September when we go to South Africa for 3 tests and just retire from Test cricket.

His going to cop so much abuse from the Saffas over there at this stage of his career is it really worth it.

 

[Fangs]

After the way Smudge was treated here.

Does anyone blame him if he tells Bailey and McDonald to shove it in September when we go to South Africa for 3 tests and just retire from Test cricket.

His going to cop so much abuse from the Saffas over there at this stage of his career is it really worth it.

He copped it in England. So I think he will cop it sweet in SA too. Unfinished business over in SA he needs to go back.

Send Davey along as security.

 

[yobbo84]

Marsh
Head
Smith
Renshaw

That's the top 4. It picks itself. Anything else was nonsense.

 

[JokerEel]

Marsh
Head
Smith
Renshaw

That's the top 4. It picks itself. Anything else was nonsense.

You spelt Green wrong

 

[Bazal]

You spelt Green wrong

He should be 6 as an all rounder. Craig David at 5. Inglis 7.

Shit Show, Rig, Surfer Connolly watching from a pub back home

 

[JokerEel]

He should be 6 as an all rounder. Craig David at 5. Inglis 7.

Shit Show, Rig, Surfer Connolly watching from a pub back home

Green doesn't bowl so he shouldn't be in the team unless he is also bowling.

Webster would have been a better choice

 

[Bazal]

Green doesn't bowl so he shouldn't be in the team unless he is also bowling.

Webster would have been a better choice

Well that's sort of what I mean yeah. He should be there as a big hitting all rounder who can give you up to 4 overs of actual pace.

I'm a big fan but even I know picking him when he didn't even have a BBL team and based on his Test form was mental. But if he's bowling, you can justify it. If he's not, why is he there ATM

 

[undertaker]

After the way Smudge was treated here.

Does anyone blame him if he tells Bailey and McDonald to shove it in September when we go to South Africa for 3 tests and just retire from Test cricket.

His going to cop so much abuse from the Saffas over there at this stage of his career is it really worth it.

Smithy would absolutely love one more chance of winning a test series in both India and England (England moreso, given the Aussies have slipped up at The Oval in the past two Ashes tours to let England finish with a 2-all drawn series), which is where the Aussies are touring next year. Beyond the 2027 Ashes tour, I'd be very surprised if he continues going around in the test arena.

As for the ambition of making the T20 squad for the 2028 Olympics....ZERO chance of that happening (and that's if Australia even qualifies for it, given that only 6 mens' teams will be competing, according to the IOC draft proposal for the event), given the selectors have been extremely reluctant to pick him since the start of the last T20 World Cup, not to mention he will be 39 by then. He only played one match in that 2022 T20 World Cup (vs Afghanistan) and has subsequently only played 4 T20Is since then, with the last one being nearly two years ago in New Zealand.

 

[undertaker]

He copped it in England. So I think he will cop it sweet in SA too. Unfinished business over in SA he needs to go back.

Send Davey along as security.

 

[JJ]

You f**kers will probably still win the tournament anyway... but yeah, some weird selections and unlucky injuries

 

[Twizzle]

 

[TheParraboy]

Am not really fussed tbh..

We hold a lot of the trophies that matter

We were a gun T20 side before the BBL season (winning 17 from 18 I believe, without Smith)
Something happened during the BBL season, ton of guys lost form here, then head to a WC in different conditions.
Plus some dumb selections and non selections didnt help

Now
If Ireland beat Zimbabwe well tonight, then the door opens ever so slightly we can still progress..
But tbh rather we be taken to a dark paddock, and be put down. Maybe Oman may do that for us in our last group match?

 

[JJ]

Those results are entirely plausible...