Aussie selector explains Smith call, confirms World Cup review

Steve Smith is still seen primarily as a top order option for a return to the nation's T20 side with Australia's hierarchy set to let the emotions settle before diving into what went wrong during a "hugely disappointing" T20 World Cup campaign.

Selector Tony Dodemaide said they would do a full review of their disastrous World Cup effort where Australia's men failed to progress past the group stage for the first time since 2009.

Mitch Marsh's side still have one game to go against Oman on Friday (Saturday, 12.30am AEDT) but can no longer reach the Super Eight phase after losing to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.

The African side's washout with Ireland on Tuesday in Kandy confirmed their place in the final eight with Australia unable to catch them in the Group B standings, meaning the 2021 champions are on their way out of the tournament even if they beat Oman.

"It's really disappointing the way the tournament has rolled out," Dodemaide said on Wednesday from the team hotel in Sri Lanka.

"But we will need some time, and take some time, once we finish our last commitment – it's important that we finish strongly on Friday against Oman – then we'll get back and analyse it fully."

One of the big talking points for fans back home has been the omission of Smith following another scintillating Big Bash campaign for Sydney Sixers, but with the 36-year-old not initially selected in Australia's World Cup squad, he didn't arrive in Sri Lanka in time for the side's first two matches where a spot might have been available.

Following a painful testicular injury suffered at training just days before their campaign began, skipper Marsh was only ruled out of Australia's tournament opener on the morning of their clash with Ireland, which has been the side's only victory so far.

With Marsh's return at that point unclear, calls were made to get Smith over as a standby in the hours leading up to the 67-run win over Ireland, who was in Adelaide at the LIV Golf event.

The right-hander has reinvented himself as a T20 opener since playing just one game at the 2022 World Cup in Australia, returning to the Sixers in BBL|12 where he's smashed 879 runs at an average of 73 while striking at better than 170 in the four seasons since despite limited availability due to his Test commitments.

He was again prolific in KFC BBL|15 last month following Australia's 4-1 Ashes win, posting a fourth T20 century in four years to finish with 299 runs at a strike rate of 168 in six matches.

But with Marsh and Travis Head fit, Smith was left out of the three-match Pakistan tour prior to this year's tournament and didn't land in Colombo until after Australia's second game, which they lost to Zimbabwe by 23 runs.

Smith was officially added to Australia's 15-man World Cup squad on Monday hours before their crunch clash with Sri Lanka at Pallekele Stadium, but with Marsh cleared to return, there was no spot available for the Test No.4.

Marsh and Head vindicated that call by both smashing half-centuries to put on 104 for the first wicket in just 8.3 overs, before Australia's batting fell away in the second half of the innings, allowing the co-hosts back into the game as Pathum Nissanka's sublime 52-ball ton helped them chase down 182 with two overs to spare.

"We see him primarily as at the top and that's where he's come into the squad as cover for that area," Dodemaide said.

"He was only really available for game three, which was the game that we had our best performed pairing, which is 'Bison' (Marsh) and Head, who did extremely well.

"If we got more moving parts and we had to think of things differently, then that's a different story, but certainly now Steve still retains his place as cover for that opening position."

Australia's leading run-scorer for the tournament, Matthew Renshaw, was also left out to accommodate Marsh's return, with selectors prioritising the bowling of allrounders Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell, while Cooper Connolly got the nod over Matthew Kuhnemann to lengthen the batting order while still providing Marsh with a left-arm spin option.

Green, Stoinis, and Maxwell, along with Tim David and Josh Inglis, had formed the basis of a middle-order power unit that delivered Australia 17 wins from 19 completed matches from the end of the last T20 World Cup to the start of the home series against India last year.

Green had been one of the T20 side's best through 2025 with three half-centuries in his 258 runs in eight innings that came at a strike rate nudging 170.

But without a BBL deal, the 26-year-old hadn't played any T20 cricket since his focus switched to the Ashes in October and before Australia's Pakistan tour in late January, where he was their best batter with scores of 36, 35 and 22 as they were smashed three-nil on ragging pitches in Lahore.

Green has previously shown a preference for longer adjustment periods when switching formats, particularly when preparing to play Test cricket, and Dodemaide said "nuancing his commitments from time-to-time" would form part of their wider review.

"His record has been very, very good for us in 2025, and pre-tournament in Pakistan (where) he was our best batter," he said.

"Cam's still developing his game across all formats and that needs to be balanced with what he can do physically.

"He's a very fine player who is important for us in all formats, but in terms of nuancing his commitments from time-to-time we'll look at that in more depth as part of the wider review."

Australia will co-host the next men's T20 World Cup with New Zealand in 2028 just a few months after cricket returns to the Olympics through the T20 format.

Australia's men's team's spot at the Olympics tournament isn't yet secure however, with their performances over the past month seeing them slip to third in the T20I rankings, only one spot ahead of their trans-Tasman rivals, who they are jostling with for direct qualification into the six-team event.

"We want to win every World Cup, no matter where it is," Dodemaide said.

"Clearly, the next one is at home. We'd love to do well at home.

"We've got a commitment within 48 hours or so against Oman and we want to finish off really well.

"We will do the requisite planning to look at 2028; we've got 2027 50-over World Cup in the meantime. All these things will be mapped out when we get time and space, and we can cut out the emotion of it and look at it more forensically."

2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Australia squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserve: Sean Abbott

Australia's Group Stage fixtures

February 11: beat Ireland by 67 runs

February 13: lost to Zimbabwe by 23 runs

February 16: lost to Sri Lanka by eight wickets

February 20: v Oman, Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy (Feb 21, 12:30am AEDT)

Click here for the full tournament schedule

All matches will be broadcast on Amazon's Prime Video