Ricky Ponting says the depth around Australian cricket isn’t where it needs to be

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The ex-captain still insists the team can win the T20 World Cup if all first-choice picks are fit and healthy

Ricky Ponting has questioned the depth of Australian cricket after the T20’s poor showing in recent tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh, but believes the team can still challenge for the World Cup if their strongest squad is available .

Australia finished the twin tours 2-8 over the two T20 contests which was capped by an elimination for 62, their lowest T20 tally, in the final game in Dhaka.

Although Ponting acknowledged the difficult conditions in Bangladesh, he feared performance would deteriorate as the games progressed. Only Mitchell Marsh emerged with an improved reputation with the bat, although the bowling offense largely performed creditably.

“The lack of know-how and skill in these conditions undid us again,” Ponting told Tim Paine of the captain’s test. SEN radio program. “It’s been the Achilles heel of Australian cricket for as long as I can remember – more so in Test cricket, but we’ve always found a way to be very competitive in Sri Lanka and India in cricket at white ball. Just going to show the depth around Aussie cricket isn’t where it needs to be, so there’s work to be done there.

“The T20 World Cup is not far away, so I hope all the boys will be fit and healthy, because I still think that with everyone fit and healthy in the UAE, the team Australian can push very hard to win the title. Fingers crossed we can put our strongest XI on the pitch.”

Captain Aaron Finch was ruled out of the Bangladesh series with a knee injury, which meant Australia were missing up to eight players who could be considered among the top picks, including David Warner, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis from the batting order.

“There were a lot of names that weren’t there… but it almost seemed like they got worse over this streak,” Ponting said. “There’s no doubt those conditions were really tough, but that’s what worries me. They’ve been there for quite a long time and practiced on wickets that you would have thought were quite similar to what they played on. , but the longer the series went on, whether it was a lack of confidence, skill or awareness of the game, I’m sure they would have been shattered.”

It now looks likely that a number of Australian players will prepare for the World Cup by returning to the IPL for its resumption next month, although Pat Cummins is unlikely to be available due to the birth of his first child. .

Ponting, the Delhi Capitals head coach, said he is still awaiting confirmation of the availability of Smith, who is recovering from an elbow injury, and Stoinis, but sees it as their best opportunity to prepare for the World Cup.

“There is no doubt that this is their best preparation, under these exact conditions, to play probably the strongest domestic T20 tournament in the world,” he said. “I’m not saying this just because I want some of the Australian players to be there with Delhi, but it looks like our domestic season will be pushed back so there’s no domestic cricket here before the World Cup. T20, so as far as preparation goes, it’s spot on.

“I don’t know if there will be any restrictions on bowlers going there, maybe there will be, but definitely guys like Smith, Davey, Maxi, Stoinis who haven’t had cricket for three or four months, they have to get back into the groove.”

Andrew McGlashan is associate editor at ESPNcricinfo

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