Australian cricket legend Mark Waugh has called for the national men’s side to have a specialist white-ball coach after the team failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals last month.
Mitchell Marsh’s men returned home from the Caribbean early following losses to Afghanistan and India during the Super Eight stage, missing out on the knockouts for a second straight tournament.
The 2021 champions also were knocked out during the group stage of the previous T20 World Cup campaign on home soil following a heavy loss to New Zealand.
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Speaking to Fox Sports’ The Back Page on Tuesday evening, Waugh criticised Australia’s selection during the tournament, arguing that Victorian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk and West Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis should have made an appearance.
Fraser-McGurk was omitted from the 15-player squad but named as a travelling reserve, while Inglis was sidelined in favour of veteran gloveman Matthew Wade, who had a mediocre campaign with the bat.
Waugh also lashed the decision to drop star bowler Mitchell Starc for the crucial Super Eight clash against Afghanistan, which ultimately backfired.
Big Bash League superstars Matthew Short and Spencer Johnson also missed selection for the tournament, while Tasmanian seamer Nathan Ellis, Australia’s most consistent T20 bowler, wasn’t picked for any of the Super Eight matches.
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“We need a reboot in T20 cricket,” Waugh said.
“With the amount of talent we’ve got in the squad and around the squad, we should do a lot better than that.
“We’ve got a lot of good players who didn’t play in that tournament.
“Jake Fraser-McGurk should have been in the squad, because you just have him there, ready, locked and loaded to go if you need him, but he wasn’t there.
“The non-selection of Mitchell Starc against Afghanistan was crucial, and even Josh Inglis not getting a game.”
Waugh also floated the possibility of splitting up the national coaching duties, replicating England’s strategy with the appointment of Brendon McCullum and Matthew Mott two years ago.
“I reckon we need a reboot by having a different coach for T20 cricket, or 50-over cricket (as well),” Waugh continued.
“I think a fresh set of eyes, someone in there to come in and make some change.
“I think we need to look at some fresh eyes in that T20 outfit.”
Australian coach Andrew McDonald, who has mentored the national men’s side in all three formats since Justin Langer’s departure in 2022, has previously stated he goes not agree with splitting the coaching between formats.
“My belief is to still have that one coach and share the workload within that,” McDonald told SEN in 2022.
“I think for me the continuity of messaging is critical, but also the priorities shift. And people probably don’t like me saying this, but the priorities do shift at certain times. You can’t be everything to everyone.
“If you had split coaches, which format takes priority? I think the ability to have one selection panel, one coach to work through that, give the direction to what the priorities are at the time and managing the overall squad.
“The continuity of messaging for me is important.”
Australia will next face Scotland and England on a white-ball tour of the United Kingdom in September.