SYDNEY: Cricket great Shane Warne Thursday criticised Australia’s line-ups at the World Twenty20, saying the “wrong” choices were responsible for the team crashing out in the group stages.
Steve Smith’s team were knocked out by India in a do-or-die showdown in Mohali on Sunday, leaving their hopes of winning their first World T20 trophy once again in tatters.
“First of all, our selection was wrong in my opinion,” Warne told cricket.com.au.
“I don’t think we got that right, we messed around with it too much rather than sticking with what’s been a proven formula and we probably didn’t play well enough, which is the brutal truth.”
Warne said Usman Khawaja should have batted at number three and opening pair Aaron Finch and David Warner should not have been broken up.
“I don’t think they should have broken up Finch and Warner and I think it upset the balance of the team,” Warne said, adding that their partnership would have been an “intimidatory factor before a ball was bowled”.
“Those two guys had been batting together for a long time, they have done well in Twenty20, they’ve done well in one-day cricket, and suddenly they got spilt up.
“And I just would never, ever have left Aaron Finch out … It’s not to say they didn’t worry about Khawaja, but I just think the other two are more destructive.”
The spin legend also queried Josh Hazlewood’s selection over all-rounder John Hastings for Australia’s final two matches.
“I just think because we had so much talent in our team and so much skill, they [Australia’s selectors] thought ‘it doesn’t matter what the combinations are we’re still going to do OK’, but it wasn’t to be,” he added.
India face the West Indies in the second semi-final on Thursday for the chance to play Eoin Morgan’s England team in the final on Sunday.
