England batsman Jacob Bethell didn’t hold back when asked about Australia’s imminent exit from the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup. On a light-hearted but pointed note, Bethell said it was “good to see” their Ashes rivals collapse in the group stage.
Australia crashed out before the Super 8s after failing to build momentum in Group B. Speaking on the BBC’s Test Match Special, Bethell said the defending heavyweights just never got into the tournament.
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“It was good to see. It just didn’t seem like they were firing in the tournament. And in those group stage games, if you don’t hit the ground running, you’re in danger of that happening. So yeah, it was a shame for them,” Bethell said.
HOW THE AUSTRALIA T20 WORLD CUP ENDED
Australia began their campaign in style, ousting Ireland by 67 runs in Colombo on 11 February. However, the spark was quickly extinguished. A 23-run defeat to Zimbabwe disrupted their rhythm and Sri Lanka then sealed their fate with a dominant eight-wicket win.
Australia needed results elsewhere to fall in their favour. Instead, rain intervened in Zimbabwe’s clash against Ireland in Kandy on February 17 and the shared points officially closed the door on Australia’s Super 8 hopes.
The output was sharper was the context. Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, Australia have won five of their eight T20I series, losing only two and drawing one.
Their early departure also sparked debate online, with some fans hinting at it this Australian side seems more invested in Test cricket than the shortest format. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa strongly pushed back on the idea after the win over Oman, insisting that the coaching staff and management have given T20 cricket considerable preparation time and that commitment to the format has never been lacking.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR ENGLAND AT THE T20 WORLD CUP
While Australia packed their bags, England moved on. They breezed past Nepal by four runs in Mumbai, stumbled against the West Indies before rebounding with wins over Scotland and Italy to secure second place in Group C.
Now the focus shifts to the Super 8s. Sri Lanka await in Kandy, followed by Pakistan at the same venue, before their final group stage showdown with New Zealand in Colombo.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 21, 2026