Former Australian greats Glenn McGrath and Mark Waugh have led the charge against Australia’s disappointing campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as coach Andrew McDonald insisted his side had “enough is enough” despite a poor group-stage exit.
Australia, the 2021 champions, entered the tournament in India and Sri Lanka among the contenders for the title.
However, the former white-ball powerhouse failed in the opening stages for the first time since 2009, prompting widespread criticism from former players and the media.
MacDonald backed the team he picked, but the results have intensified calls for a rebuild ahead of the 2028 edition, which Australia co-hosts with New Zealand.
The warning signs were there before the match even started. Australia were comprehensively thrashed by Pakistan in the three-match warm-up series, losing by 22, 90 and 111 runs – the last two defeats marking their heaviest T20I losses by runs.
At the time, captain Mitchell Marsh played down concerns, saying there was “absolutely no stress” inside the camp. That hope soon faded as defeats against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka sealed their early exit.
McGrath had expressed concerns from the outset, particularly over the absence of leading pacers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, whose omission exposed a vulnerable side.
“We said at the start of this World Cup we were worried about Australia,” pacer Glenn McGrath told reporters, revealing a soft underbelly at the absence of pacers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
“Suddenly, when the other teams are playing, that Australian aura is no longer there … Unfortunately, it’s not surprising.”
Australia’s selection team – George Bailey, Macdonald and Tony Todmaid – faced particular scrutiny, particularly for playing consistently with all-rounders Cameron Green and Cooper Connolly.
Critics questioned the decision not to play Steve Smith and the omission of must-win form batsman Matt Renshaw for the match against Sri Lanka.
Mark Waugh has launched a scathing assessment of the team’s recent selection results, questioning the rationale for continuing with players who have struggled for form in recent games.
“Look at the selections, look at (Glenn) Maxwell, Connolly, Green and (Josh) Inglis, they’re all out of form,” lamented former selector Mark Waugh.
“The selectors have their plans but you have to be smart enough to see which players are in form and which players are not.
“You have to play percentages better than our selectors played.”
MacDonald rejected external criticism, saying outsiders were unaware of the internal considerations behind selection decisions.
“The build-up and style of cricket, the balance of our batting unit and the balance of our bowling attack, we felt very confident coming into this match,” McDonald added.
“The decisions we made, the squad we picked, we have a room full of players and we’re incredibly disappointed to know they’re good enough to progress and we have to own up to the fact that we’re not.”
A comprehensive review is expected once the team returns home, especially with the 2028 T20 World Cup in mind. Only three of the current squad – Green, Connolly and paceman Xavier Bartlett – will be under 30 by then.
The futures of several senior players including Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Hazlewood and Cummins remain uncertain as Australia balances a demanding Test schedule and preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
McDonald acknowledged that Australia’s limited T20 schedule over the next 12 months could hamper immediate rebuilding efforts.
“In the next 12 months, we will be short of T20 cricket in the way of schedule,” he said. “We go to Bangladesh and we have a series against England.”
“They don’t really step up until that World Cup year, which is what happened this cycle.
“It’s not enough to frame what your direction is. I think it comes a little closer.”