Australia set to launch review into their shocking T20 World Cup exit, as selector breaks silence on Steve Smith omission

Australia selector Tony Dodemaide has revealed that the team’s leadership group will conduct a full-scale investigation into Australia’s failings at the 2026 T20 World Cup. 

Dodemaide also rejected claims that injured stars Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood had been omitted from the tournament to be preserved for the Indian Premier League, which commences in March.

The 2021 champions were sensationally knocked out of the World Cup on Tuesday after Ireland’s clash against Zimbabwe in Pallekele was rained off. 

It is the first time since 2009 that Australia have missed the knockout stages of the tournament, with Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka advancing to the Super Eights.

As a result, Aussie selectors have found themselves in the spotlight with former Australian stars, Ian Healy and Mark Waugh hitting out at the team’s leadership group for making some bizarre selection calls throughout the tournament.

One of those decisions included choosing to omit star batsman Steve Smith from Australia’s eight-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka. It came after the Sydney Sixers star, who has been in red-hot form in the Big Bash League, had flown out as cover for Mitchell Marsh, who had missed the first two games with a testicle injury.

Dodemaide insisted that Smith had been seen as a backup opener for Marsh and Travis Head, but could be used down the order in the future.

‘As we’ve said before, we see him [Smith] primarily at the top, and that’s where he’s coming into the squad for cover of that area,’ Dodemaide said. ‘He was only really available for game three, which was the game that we had our best-performing pairing, which is Bison [Marsh] and Heady [Head], did extremely well.’

The absences of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have been costly for Australia during the tournament, with their bowling attack taking only two wickets against Sri Lanka on Monday, as Pathum Nissanka bludgeoned a century off 52 deliveries.

Cummins ruled himself out of the World Cup after the Ashes, as he continues to recover from a lumbar stress injury. Hazlewood had been named in Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad, but was only expected to play in the latter stages of the tournament. He was later ruled out of the tournament with the seamer still working to overcome an Achilles tendon issue. Smith was later officially confirmed as his replacement.

Dodemaide rubbished claims that the pair were being rested ahead of the commencement of the IPL, which commences in March.

‘If the IPL was first and the World Cup was second, they’d be missing the IPL to play in the World Cup,’ he explained.

‘It’s really disappointing the way the tournament has rolled out,’ Dodemaide added.

‘But we will need some time, and take some time, once we finish our last commitment – it’s important that we finish strongly on Friday against Oman – then we’ll get back and analyse it fully.’

It’s been a busy start to the year for Australia, who wrapped up their Ashes campaign against England in Sydney on January 8. Those selected as part of the World Cup squad then travelled to Lahore to face off against Pakistan in a three-match T20I warm-up series ahead of the World Cup.

Dodemaide explained that the short turnaround had thrown up some injury issues among players who were featuring in both formats.

‘I think there’s obviously knock-on, because we have some common players in both,’ the selector said.

‘Those injury concerns are something that do arise and can arise quite late. So in terms of planning, no, they’re separated. We take each commitment very much as a separate entity, and we’re running them in parallel.

‘Of course, when you do get injury concerns that compromise your squad, like as a result of series in the meantime, whether it’s the Ashes, whether it’s BBL, then that does present some challenges.’

Concerns are now mounting that Australia, who have fallen to third in the T20 world standings, could be forced to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Six top ranked sides from each continent are set to be handed an automatic berth at the summer Games. Should New Zealand advance deep into the T20 World Cup they could leapfrog Australia to go third in the world rankings, and qualify as the top-ranked side in the East Asia Pacific region.

‘Our knowledge is quite limited in terms of the qualification process,’ Dodemaide said.

‘My understanding is that the head office is still working through exactly what that means. So until we get specifics… that’s down the path for us. We’re more worried about the Oman game (on Saturday morning AEDT) at the moment and getting back and dealing with our next short-term commitments.’

Dodemaide also threw his support behind Cameron Green who has averaged a mere eight runs during the tournament.

‘His record has been very, very good for us in 2025, and pre-tournament in Pakistan (where) he was our best batter,’ he said.

‘Cam’s still developing his game across all formats and that needs to be balanced with what he can do physically.

‘He’s a very fine player who is important for us in all formats, but in terms of nuancing his commitments from time to time we’ll look at that in more depth as part of the wider review.’

Australia wrap-up their World Cup campaign on Friday against Oman.

‘We’ve got a commitment within 48 hours or so against Oman and we want to finish off really well,’ the selector added.

‘We will do the requisite planning to look at 2028; we’ve got 2027 50-over World Cup in the meantime. All these things will be mapped out when we get time and space, and we can cut out the emotion of it and look at it more forensically.’