Australian T20 captain Mitch Marsh says some of the veteran members of the team that failed to make the World Cup semi-finals would need to “make decisions” about their future as part of the review of the failed campaign.
The exit of opener David Warner, who toasted the arrival of his potential replacement Jake Fraser McGurk by declaring “over to you champ” on Instagram, could be among a host of changes ahead, with a new-look outfit likely to contest the next World Cup in 2026.
Marsh himself, who aged 32 entered the tournament on the back of a hamstring injury and failed to have a real impact, dropping several chances in the field in vital games, could be among those facing some questions.
Watch selected NRL, AFL, SSN games plus every F1 qualifying session and race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial today.
Keeper Matthew Wade, who is 36, looms as the first man out, with Josh Inglis waiting in the wings, having been a member of the 15-man squad at the World Cup in the West Indies.
Fast bowlers Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood, at 34 and 33 respectively and multiple World Cup winners, could make way for the next generation of players like Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett.
Marcus Stoinis was among Australia’s best players in the Caribbean, but at 34 only just made the squad and would struggle to hold his spot with the likes of Aaron Hardie among a growing crop of next-generation all-rounders.
Without wanting to move too quickly into a post-mortem in the hours after Australia’s exit was confirmed, Marsh said regeneration of the T20 side was on the cards.
“I think that’s something that we’ll speak about in the coming months as a group,” Marsh told reporters in the West Indies at the end of Australia’s campaign.
“We’ve got a core group that is really experienced and amazing cricketers and we’ve also got a lot of young guys who are coming through that we’ll see get opportunities.
“In this squad alone we had (Josh) Inglis, (Jake) Fraser-McGurk, (Matthew) Short, (Cameron) Green – a lot of guys who will play a lot of cricket for Australia over the next period of time.
“We’ll lose Davey and there’s a number of experienced guys that will have to make decisions, but the core group will hopefully stay together for the coming months.”
Fraser-McGurk and fellow batting powerhouse Short were with the squad in the West Indies and Marsh said the injection of youth brought a new dimension to the team.
“The great thing when you get young guys in and around the squad is they provide you with a lot of energy,” Marsh said.
“Their willingness to learn and their work ethic.
“They’re all at the start of their journey playing cricket for Australia, and I reflect on my time as a young kid and the importance of having really solid leaders and experienced players around you to help you develop at this level is really important.
“I think as an Australian cricket team we’ve always got that balance right and it’s an important responsibility for the senior players in our group moving forward to guide these guys and get them as much game time as we can in international cricket.”
Marsh, who will hold on to the T20 captaincy, said he still “had fun” and maintained the core directive to make sure enjoyment was at the heart of the players’ efforts.
But he had to concede that when it mattered most, the Australians were just not good enough, himself included
“I saw blokes put in the work,” he said.
“There were parts of our skill that wasn’t executed in the field under pressure and that’s something we can definitely reflect on. But in terms of us putting in the work and having the emphasis on it, it’s something that we pride ourselves on.”
AGES OF AUSTRALIAN T20 SQUAD
David Warner 37
Matthew Wade 36
Glenn Maxwell 35
Marcus Stoinis 34
Mitchell Starc 34
Josh Hazlewood 33
Pat Cummins 32
Adam Zampa 32
Mitch Marsh 32
Travis Head 30
Ashton Agar 30
Josh Inglis 29
Nathan Ellis 29
Tim David 28
Cameron Green 25