Veteran Australian player Ricky Ponting commented on the team’s early elimination from the T20 World Cup 2026. Defeats against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka made things tough for Australia before a washed-out match pushed them out of the mega event. Though the team missed Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, etc., in the tournament, Ponting also feels Australia lacked the ‘aura’ going into ICC events as well.

“It’s been a really poor campaign, it has to be said,” Ponting said on ICC Review. “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 as 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.”

“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 shared again.

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While Australia have dominated ICC events in the past, Ricky Ponting stated that Mitchell Marsh’s team didn’t have the same quality on paper as well.

“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,” he said. “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.”

“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,” he stated.

Ricky Ponting also said that winning ICC trophies has to be the pinnacle of sporting excellence.

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“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, freshen up, and be ready for a World Cup,” he said.

“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,” Ricky Ponting concluded.