Australia head coach Andrew McDonald dismissed suggestions his team failed to prioritize the World T20 after the defending champions crashed out in the group stage following losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
The removal of the shock will only take effect the second time Australia are out of the T20 World Cup in the group stage, drawing sharp criticism from the Australian media and former captain Ricky Ponting. McDonald responded to the growing criticism before the final match against Omaninsist the format remains a priority despite recent struggles since winning the title in 2021.
The Australian media questioned the team selection strategy, with The Age highlighting how strong performances in the Big Bash League went unrewarded as the selectors stuck to a pre-made plan rather than form-based decisions. The report suggested that the management had overlooked in-form domestic players in favor of established names, a decision that backfired spectacularly.
Ponting, who led Australia during their previous group stage exit under his captaincy, was particularly vocal about the shortcomings of the current squad. The former captain criticized side for lacking “the aura of previous champion sides.”
MCDONALD strikes back
“We’ve been fully locked in for some time. That’s one of our priorities,” McDonald said in response to the criticism. “And I’ve heard this narrative that the T20 World Cups are not important to us. I think it’s all a reaction to the performances of the Australian cricket teams in those competitions.”
McDonald acknowledged that expectations are “high and rightly so” after Australia’s triumph in 2021, but strongly denied claims that the team had prioritized other formats over T20. “To sit down and say that we prefer other formats or other versions of the game and not the T20 World Cup is completely wrong,” he said.
The coach highlighted that Australia’s struggles coincided with their unsuccessful campaigns since winning the 2021 tournament, suggesting that public perception was shaped by performance, rather than priorities.
INJURY CHALLENGES
McDonald pointed to injury setbacks dating back to the Test series as a contributing factor and highlighted the difficulty of maintaining a high performance across the three formats simultaneously. “Have we had any problems due to player injuries on the back of the Test series? That’s always something we deal with and every nation has to deal with it,” he said.
He acknowledged the absent players would make a difference, but insisted the squad selected was capable of progressing. “I really believe the players that were here were good enough and it shouldn’t be about the players we’re missing,” McDonald said.
The coach accepted responsibility for the disappointing performances and said the criticism from the media and fans was fair and reasonable. The early exit raises serious questions about Australia’s T20 strategy and selection policy ahead of future tournaments.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
February 20, 2026