Mark Waugh Slams Australia's "Doomed" T20WC Selection, Calls Smith Snub "Insulting"

As the rain gods in Pallekele showed benevolence to Zimbabwe, giving them a much-needed one point to qualify for the Super Eight along with Sri Lanka from their group, it was curtains for the 2021 champions as they were eliminated in the group stage itself, stumbling to humiliating losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka after starting off with a win over Ireland.

Australia was battling injury issues heading into the tournament, with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, two of their senior-most pacers, ruled out of the tournament. Also, their star batter Tim David was battling a hamstring injury before the tournament and did not look at his best at all, posting scores of 0 against Zimbabwe and six against Sri Lanka.

Also, skipper Mitchell Marsh suffered a groin injury scare and missed the first two matches before returning against Zimbabwe and making an impactful fifty. Steve Smith was roped in as an addition to the Australian squad ahead of the Sri Lanka clash, following a great Big Bash League (BBL) season for the Sydney Sixers, in which he broke the record for most centuries in BBL history by a player.

Waugh termed Smith's non-selection as "baffling", given his excellence against spin bowling. In his side's runners-up finish in the BBL this season, the batting legend starred with 299 runs in six innings at an average of 59.80 and a strike rate of 167.97, with a century and two fifties.

Speaking on SEN Radio, as quoted by Sky Sports, Waugh said, "I think that the whole campaign was doomed from the get-go with selection issues and injuries."

"To me, the non-selection of Steve Smith in the squad originally is the most baffling non-selection I can remember for ages. I just think they have got the selections completely wrong and to have your best player by 100 yards sitting on the sideline in Steve Smith ... I think it is an insult to Steve Smith, to be honest," he added.

Australia's premier Test batter is known to be an excellent player of spin, renowned for his elite hand-eye coordination and footwork. During the clash against Sri Lanka, the Aussies lost their 10 wickets for just 77 runs after a 104-run opening stand between Marsh and Travis Head, with six of the eight wickets taken by bowlers (two were run outs) going to spinners.

In 67 T20Is for Australia, Smith scored 1,094 runs in 65 innings at an average of 24.86 and a strike rate of over 125, with five fifties and a best score of 90. He last played a T20I against New Zealand in February 2024, scoring four runs in that outing at Auckland.

Waugh also noted Smith's abilities as a fielder and slammed the team management for not playing him at all despite getting him flying to Sri Lanka.

"Smith is an outstanding fielder. He's a great player of spin. He should have been first picked, and he was not picked in the squad... then he was not even picked as a replacement, and then they got him over there, and they still have not played him," Waugh added.

"The selectors have their plans in place, but you have got to be smart enough to see which players are in form and which players are out of form, and you have got to play the percentages a lot better than what our selectors have played at the moment. It is just been baffling," he concluded.

Australia will take on Oman in their final league stage match on February 20 at Pallekele.

- ANI