Former captain Ricky Ponting delivered a blunt assessment of Australia’s “really poor” campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 while also looking ahead to the next edition and potential squad composition. 

Notably, Australia have won just one match from three games at the ongoing T20 World Cup. They are already out of contention to reach the Super Eights phase of the tournament regardless of what happens during their fixture against Oman on Friday.

During the latest episode of The ICC Review, Ponting spoke in depth about the Aussies’ poor T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.

“It’s been a really poor campaign, it has to be said. They had some injury concerns at the start with (Josh) Hazlewood and (Pat) Cummins being ruled out and then Tim David not available right at the start as well. But I think just losing to Zimbabwe like they did, that’s going to be the game that they’re going to think back and think like that’s our World Cup gone, there and then,” Ponting said.

“I think looking at the pool before the start of the tournament, I felt Sri Lanka would be difficult to beat at home and that’s certainly the way it turned out. They played really well against Australia. That was an amazing run chase when you look at it. That sort of score is never an easy one to chase down. But to think that Zimbabwe outplayed Australia in an ICC event, it’s those opportunities that you can’t afford to give up in a tournament like this,” he added.  

ICC Hall of Famer Ponting also lightheartedly shared he had been on the receiving end of some banter as a result of Australia’s imminent formal exit from the tournament. 

“I’ve had a fair bit of ribbing, it has to be said, from a lot of Indian friends of mine over the last few days, but that’s part and parcel,” he said.

“You take the good with the bad and more often than not, I’ve been able to be the one that’s been able to send a cheeky message back and forth myself – but certainly not in this tournament!,” he added. 

Lacked Of Aura In Australian Team

The 51-year-old Ponting also suggested that the current Australian line-up in the shortest format lacked some of the aura that previous teams that wore the famous green and gold.

“I think I said to you the other day that you look at that Australian team on paper, it just doesn’t look to have that sort of aura around it that a lot of other Australian teams have going into ICC events and World Cups. 

You need to have your best players and your most experienced players standing up and winning big moments for you in these tournaments if you want to go ahead and win and Australia haven’t had that,” he said.

“They probably haven’t got enough out of their top order batting with Cameron Green at No.3, and then Tim David coming in at No.4 for the last couple of games. Those two haven’t fired and Australia have lost early wickets certainly in the game against Zimbabwe.

They went off to a great start the other night (against Sri Lanka) and then to lose six for 20, I think it was in the last four or five overs, taking no momentum at all into the second part of the game.

Once again, there’s just little areas that you have to win that Australia haven’t been able to win. As a past player and these WhatsApp groups that we’re on, we certainly don’t sit back and bash the current players or talk about them in a negative way when they don’t win. We just want to see our team do well. So, unfortunately, that hasn’t happened over the last couple of weeks. And that’s something that group of players has to live with,” he added. 

ICC Trophies, A Pinnacle For Any Aspiring Cricketer

Ricky Ponting, the multiple World Cup winner, refuted any suggestion that Australian men’s teams don’t place enough emphasis on the T20 World Cup, adding that winning ICC trophies should be the pinnacle for any aspiring young Aussie cricketer. 

“I’m not sure that that’s true. I think it’s probably hard for a lot of the players to get up immediately after an Ashes series. And let’s not forget, our guys just went through five really long Test matches and it’s physically and mentally draining for a couple of months. Some of the boys went back and played some BBL. The other guys decided to try and rest and freshen up and be ready for a World Cup,” said Ponting. 

“But trust me, any Australian team that I’ve been in or been around, yes, the (home) international series is important, Border-Gavaskar (Trophy) is important, but the reason you play is to win World Cups and win titles. The fact that we had as many players out as we did and some of our best players just not stepping up is the reason that you don’t win.

“The teams that are left now, the teams that need to have their best players playing well at the back end of this tournament if they’re indeed going to go on and win this tournament as well,” he added. 

Ponting On Future Of Australia’s T20 Team

Ponting was also asked about the future of Australia’s T20 team, with the country set to co-host the next installment of the T20 World Cup in 2028 alongside New Zealand as well as a possible appearance at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“I think Mitchell Marsh will probably hang on long enough for that and I think Travis Head will definitely be around and (Josh) Inglis will be around. Steve Smith has been very vocal about him wanting to be a part of an Olympic team as well. Whether or not that happens is a different story,” Ponting said.

“Cameron Green will be around if in fact his form is good enough to stay in the side. That’s another bit of a worry I think for Australia, certainly across Test match cricket and probably T20 cricket, what we saw in this World Cup.

“You would think Nathan Ellis would be around, Xavier Bartlett will be there. Cooper Connolly would be there and thereabouts.

“Glenn Maxwell, I don’t think will be there. I think it looks to me like his career is coming towards an end. Marcus Stoinis would also probably be a question mark, but he’s predominantly playing only T20 cricket tournaments around the world these days. Doesn’t play a lot of state cricket and obviously plays the BBL, so with his all round ability, he might be there.

“So there will be some change. Matthew Kuhnemann he’s young enough to still be around as well if they decide to have two spinners in their lineups. So there could be some changes, but I guess, I mean, we’re still, what are we, 18 months away from that, two years away from that happening. So let’s wait and see,” he concluded.