McGrath Slams Aussie Selectors After T20 WC Debacle, Warns of Pace Crisis

Australia, struggling with injuries leading upto the tournament, with pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood missing out due to injuries, and Tim David and Glenn Maxwell having injury scares leading upto the tournament, crashed out in the first round of the competition following humiliating losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. While they defeated Ireland in their campaign opener and absolutely dismantled Oman in their final group stage match, the Aussies were far from their dominant selves. Once again questioned were raised over the team's T20I future and if they took the format seriously at all, having won only one T20WC back in 2021.

Without injured Cummins, Hazlewood, and a retired Starc, Australia's pace attack was primarily Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis. While this trio had its flashes of brilliance, the aura and fear factor associated with the Cummins-Starc-Hazlewood was missing. Speaking at Chennai's MRF Pace Foundation ground at Chennai, McGrath said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, "You look at the quicks that the Australian team used against England. Scotty Boland, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson - they have been around the game a long time, so you are not replacing older guys with younger guys. So the next generation is going to be interesting."

Ellis looked solid with a four-wicket haul against Ireland and had been performing well as one of Australia's key T20I bowlers leading upto the tournament. With 55 wickets in 36 T20Is at an average of 17.78 and two four-fer, the 31-year-old pacer has a fine record. Pace bowling all-rounder Jack Edwards and Under 19 World Cup 2024 star Mahli Beardman, who made their T20I debuts back in January against Pakistan, are among the options to be explored leading up to the T20 World Cup 2028.

"We have seen Ellis and Beardman. They have had a little bit of experience in the white-ball format. But to replace Cummins, Starc, who carried the Australian attack against England and Hazlewood...those three have been around for a while. Boland has done a great job, but I think Australia's biggest challenge moving forward is how the next generation is going to take over from this one. We saw in the T20 format of the World Cup, it did not go too well. But we will see what the future holds," he added.

Edwards was the second-highest wicket-taker in the BBL this year, with 19 wickets at an average of 18.47 and a five-wicket haul to his name in 13 matches and made some valuable contributions with the bat too for runners-up Sydney Sixers. For champions Perth Scorchers, Beardman took 13 scalps in 11 matches at an average of 22.38, with best figures of 3/20.

The pace icon feels that exposure to the Indian Premier League (IPL), aside from the Big Bash League (BBL), could help in this transition.

"I think playing in the IPL, playing alongside international players from around the world, helps. Performing in the Big Bash helps as well. Cooper Connolly had a pretty good Big Bash, did not he? The more they play, they have a bit of success, that will help. But it is also a confidence thing," McGrath said.

"But if there are players there like Steve Smith, it will be interesting to see what he is going to do. Travis Head has been quality for a while. So you need some senior players there to help these younger guys transition through," he added.

McGrath was critical of Australia's selection during the World Cup, bringing out Smith as a replacement for skipper Mitch Marsh and not giving him a game to play despite a fine BBL with 299 runs in six innings at a strike rate of almost 168, a century and two fifties, and leaving out an in-form Matthew Renshaw against Sri Lanka in a must-win match.

"I thought they [Australia] might make the final eight, but to be honest, I did not feel they would progress much further," McGrath said. "The fact that they did not even make the final eight is disappointing. I think you look at no Cummins, no Hazlewood, no Starc, big gaps. Steve Smith, who had been in form in the Big Bash, was there, but not selected. Matt Renshaw, 66 [65 against Zimbabwe] I think the game before, but not selected against Sri Lanka," said McGrath.

"Not sure what the Australians were thinking. There were a lot of things that did not work well. You wonder about selections, missing important players. For Australia to get knocked out before the final eight, and Zimbabwe go through, it is disappointing, but not surprising," he concluded.

- ANI