Aakash Chopra is of the opinion that if Australia is eliminated from the Twenty 20 World Cup 2022 prior to the semi-final stage, then it may be the end of the line for several of their most prominent players.
Australia came in third place in Group 1 of the Super 12 stage, tying with New Zealand and England in terms of points but finishing behind them in terms of net run rate. As a direct consequence of this, the reigning champions, who were competing on their own territory for the first time, were eliminated from the competition before the semi-finals.
Chopra made the observation that the Kangaroos’ star players did not achieve what was expected of them. The former India batter went into further detail, saying:
“Is Pat Cummins a player in the T20 format? They will be tasked with locating responses to various inquiries. I don’t anticipate Kane Richardson having a significant role moving forward. In addition, there is an inquiry concerning Mitchell Starc. The key players didn’t contribute nearly as much as they should have to the side. Glenn Maxwell was given the moniker Max, but the role he played was much smaller.”
Steve Smith got out after scoring only four runs in his one and only bat, whereas David Warner only managed to score 44 runs over the course of the four innings he played. There was not a single Australian bowler who took more than five wickets, and Mitchell Starc was even taken out of the lineup for Australia’s last match against Afghanistan because of his poor performance.
Chopra brought attention to the fact that South Africa has been unable to shake the “chokers” label. He observed:
“On the other side, South Africa is where you will hear the phrase “choker” used once more. Even the tube lights have been updated as of right now. We have removed the chokes from them in recent years. However, the squad is still having trouble breathing. This has been going on since 1992, and it is still going on now.”
Chopra identified the inclusion of Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma in their eleven as another one of the team’s difficulties. The former cricket player who is now a commentator said:
They struggle with a variety of problems, but overall, they make a solid team. They are competing in a game of 10 versus 11. With all due respect, there is no room for Bavuma on this team. You are the captain, but Reeza Hendricks is sitting this one out. This is a gross miscarriage of justice. The two dominant teams who were eliminated have only themselves to blame for their elimination.
In five innings, Bavuma scored 70 runs, although his batting average was much below par at 17.50, and his strike rate was even worse than expected at 112.90. He did play an aggressive knock against Pakistan that scored 36 runs, but other than that, he was deemed wanting.
