T20 World Cup: Disjointed Australia searching for answers in home tournament

Adelaide: “Imagine if Afghanistan win this game.”

This was a singular, repetitive thought in many cricket fans’ mind as the belligerent team of rag tag warriors fought its way at the Adelaide Oval. At 99-2 in 13 overs, chasing 169, Afghanistan weren’t out of the game yet. Then came the three-wicket slip, and you felt it was a false dawn as on most occasions.

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No, not yet, for Rashid Khan arrived at the crease in the nick of time. If anyone could script an improbable win for Afghanistan against Australia in their first T20I on Australian soil, it was him. This is his spiritual home ground after all, having played many a heroics for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League.

Throughout the game, a boisterous section of Afghanistan fans had cheered their side. They were louder than the Australian fans. In fact, they were louder than any bunch of Australian fans attending any game at this 2022 T20 World Cup.

Khan gave them more to shout about – four sixes, three fours, taking the game to the last over, needing 22 and smacking Marcus Stoinis for 17. He made it a night to remember. Almost!

Some context is needed herein, of course. It wasn’t just a matter of Afghanistan holding their own, or indeed challenging Australia in their den. It was the larger situation of the defending T20 World Cup champions needing a ruthless win to march into the semi-finals. Australia needed to play like Australia, and showcase the gap that exists between themselves and Afghanistan. They needed to slap around their opponents like the cricketing upstarts they are. Only, it didn’t happen.

For one, Afghanistan aren’t really the upstarts anybody might deem them to be, especially in the shortest format. In this day and age of T20 rising as a professional business, most of these Afghan players are T20 mercenaries (for the lack of a better word). And it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that quite a few of them are better T20 players than their Australian counterparts. Who, in that Australian line-up, holds a candle to Rashid Khan?

Technically, the collective T20 experience that Afghanistan have in their ranks via their numerous players in the franchise leagues across the world exceeds that of Australia. Sure, a majority of these Australian cricketers are headline stars in the IPL, and at times in the Big Bash League, but what beyond that? Afghan players are everywhere – from the IPL, the BBL, the CPL, The Hundred, to the new leagues cropping up everywhere.

Could it be said that Afghanistan are a better T20 side than Australia? No, not quite yet. Pedigree is still a watchword in international cricket, and Australian cricket is rich in quality as it is in heritage. Even if their World Cup players do not play this format everywhere else, they still do experience a lot of international cricket in other formats round the year. Collectively, that experience is enough to ride over the Afghan challenge. And just about, for the gap is fast closing as evident in this matchup.

At this juncture then, you have to wonder why is Afghanistan’s exit being seen as a loss? And why is Australia being seen as under-performers in their home World Cup?

Probably because Afghanistan had two of their games washed out. The manner of fight in Adelaide certainly showcased that they had more to offer to this tournament if only rain had allowed them a chance. Alternatively, in Australia’s case, it was precisely because of rain that the hosts survived this far in the tournament.

It was a lost case on opening night itself, when New Zealand beat Australia by 89 runs in Sydney . To everyone watching, that result came as a shocker. New Zealand’s 200/3 is still the highest score in this tournament, and the only one to breach that mark — in what has turned out to be a bowler-friendly tournament since — are South Africa. Further, Australia’s reply – 111 all out – left them playing catch up from that night itself.

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If their game against England hadn’t been washed out at the MCG, it is quite possible that the hosts would have exited the tournament before Adelaide. In that, their journey bears much resemblance to India’s in the 2021 T20 World Cup. It was all about two major games: New Zealand and England as compared to India’s Pakistan and New Zealand last year.

India lost to Pakistan and never recovered. The loss against New Zealand was a further body blow, and it highlighted teething problems in their T20 structure. It is something the Men in Blue have worked hard to rectify over the past 12 months, and have done so to some extent ( currently topping group 2 at this World Cup).

Australia though have found themselves in a reverse situation. Instead of building from their T20 World Cup triumph in the UAE, they have regressed. This despite adding the likes of Cameron Green and Tim David to their World Cup winning squad.

It is easy to point fingers at the degenerating T20 form of Aaron Finch and Steve Smith. It is easy to say that David Warner – by right – should be leading this Australian side. It is easy to say that Australian cricket has hurt itself through the Justin Langer saga, and it is easy to say that backing Pat Cummins hasn’t really gone down well for the fans. It is easy to say that the now-twisted BBL structure hasn’t really fed Australia’s T20I needs.

Perhaps it is one of these root causes, or perhaps it is a summation of all those pointers. The truth is this is as far from an Australian side we have come to know over the years. Hell, it isn’t even a shadow of itself from only 12 months ago.

How has it come to this, Australia looking like a rag-tag bunch in their home tournament? That they are dependent on Sri Lanka beating arch-rivals England to rectify their own mistakes, despite favour from the weather? The one answer, floating in the early summer wind, isn’t an easy one.

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