For the first time in their history, Australia are men’s T20 world champions. Ben Gardner rates the Aussies out of 10 after a stellar campaign.
David Warner – 8.5/10
289 runs @ 48.16, HS 89*, SR 146.70
David Warner started slowly, with a half-century against Sri Lanka his only score of note in Australia’s first four games, but dispelled whispers over his form spectacularly at the backend of the competition, with two fifties and a 49 of varying brutalities.
Aaron Finch – 4.5/10
135 runs @ 19.28, HS 44, SR 116.37
Aaron Finch made two net run rate-improving fast starts against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and a slow 44 among the wreckage against England, but was largely quiet, continuing his poor record in ICC knockout games. His success at the toss gets him an extra point.
Mitchell Marsh – 8/10
185 runs @ 61.66, HS 77*, SR 146.82
Mitchell Marsh was picked as a top-order bat first, with his bowling almost an afterthought, used for just five overs across the competition. He fully justified that move, with a brisk fifty against West Indies to give Australia a net run rate push and a magnificent, match-winning 77* in the final. The only game he missed was Australia’s demolition by England, which emphasises his value.
Glenn Maxwell – 4/10
64 runs @ 16., HS 28*, SR 100.00; 2 wickets @ 50.00, BBI 1-6, ER 7.14
Big things were expected of Glenn Maxwell after his stellar IPL campaign, but, until his cameo to seal the final, he had a poor tournament with the bat. With the ball he was solid enough to allow Australia to get away with a four-bowler strategy.
Steve Smith – 3.5/10
69 runs @ 23, HS 35, SR 97.18
It’s strange to see such a dominant cricketer in one format play such a minor role in another. Steve Smith started reasonably enough, with a 34-ball 35 keeping Australia ticking against South Africa, but was stodgy against Sri Lanka in a game all but sealed when he came in. By that point, his tournament was almost over with Smith making 1 and 5 in his other two knocks.
Marcus Stoinis – 8/10
80 runs @ 80, HS 40*, SR 137.93; 0-35 from three overs
Marcus Stoinis was only required to bat four times, and a duck against England aside, did his job to a tee each time, sealing a tense chase against South Africa, finishing the job against Sri Lanka in a hurry, and playing the supporting hand in the semi-final well. He got pasted for 35 runs in three overs in his only spell against Sri Lanka.
Matthew Wade – 9/10
74 runs @ 74, HS 41*, SR 164.44
Like Stoinis, Matthew Wade played his walk-on part to near-perfection, with his 17-ball unbeaten 41 in the semi-final one of the all-time great T20 cameos. His copybook was unblotted against England too, with a run-a-ball 18 aiding a mini-recovery from 21-4.
Mitchell Starc – 3/10
9 wickets @ 27.55, BBI 2-21, ER 9.18
This was largely a tournament to forget for Mitchell Starc, who broke the wrong sort of records in the final as Kane Williamson took him apart, and went for plenty in the semi-final against Pakistan too. He was Australia’s most expensive bowler by a distance, and only claimed wickets before the 17th over against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Adam Zampa – 9/10
13 wickets @ 12.07, BBI 5-19, ER 5.81
Adam Zampa, long established as Australia’s premier white-ball spinner, had a tournament to rank up there with the very best. Only three bowlers have claimed more wickets at a T20 World Cup, with Zampa’s economy well below a run a ball too.
Josh Hazlewood – 7.5/10
11 wickets @ 15.90, BBI 4-39, ER 7.29
Josh Hazlewood was at times unplayable in this competition, bringing his Test-honed accuracy and nibble to bear on several top orders, including in the final where he ended up with figures of 3-16. However, he was expensive on occasions too, notably in the semi-final.
Pat Cummins – 5/10
5 wickets @ 35.40, BBI 2-34, ER 7.37
Pat Cummins is very much fourth among Australia’s four main bowlers in this format, and was at times targeted as such, but he emerged with creditable figures.
Ashton Agar – 6/10
1-15 from 2.4 overs
Ashton Agar’s only appearance came in Australia’s humbling at the hands of England, and yet he himself did little wrong, notching a run a ball 20 from No.7 and taking 1-15 from 2.4 overs.
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