T20 World Cup 2022: The defending T20 World Cup champions Australia faced a drubbing against New Zealand in the Super 12 stage opening encounter on Saturday. The reigning champions went down against 2021 finalists New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground by 89 runs. Following New Zealand's dominant show with the bat and the ball, former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull gave a sharp statement on Australia's Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins.
Speaking to ICC's Digital Daily, Simon Doull said that Australia would be concerned after the loss and that Cummins should be dropped from the current Australian T20I side. "I think Australia would be concerned, I'd be concerned with some of the parts of the bowling. I said the other night in the warm-up match, I feel personally that Pat Cummins shouldn't be playing in this T20 side," Doull said.
Doull stated that Kane Richardson is a bowler, who should be called up to the side and reasoned it by saying that Australia should bring in a pace-changing bowler. "I guess Kane Richardson should be playing. I believe that he offers them a few variations that they just don't have right now. It's the same-same. It's pace on, pace on, pace on. Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins - they don't have a really good change-up bowler," Doull added.
"We saw from Tim Southee on Saturday with some of those change-ups that certainly played a part from New Zealand's point of view. So I feel that Richardson should be in the side, though it's a big call to drop," he further said.
Doull also said that New Zealand thrashed Australia in the opening match which dented their net run rate. After losing the match by 89 runs, their net run rate has dived to -4.450. The Australian side now has four more games to play and will next play against Sri Lanka on October 25.
