Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody has raised concerns about the performance of the current Australian cricket team, stating that they are far from the best World Cup sides. Moody’s remarks come in the wake of Australia’s 134-run defeat to South Africa in Match 10 of the World Cup 2023 in Lucknow.
Notably, the defeat against the Proteas marked Australia’s fourth successive loss in ODI matches since 2019. South Africa showcased an outstanding performance, led by a century from Quinton de Kock and sensational bowling from Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj. Not to mention, this loss was Australia’s biggest defeat in World Cup history.
Pre-World Cup struggles
Before the start of the multi-team event, Australia faced a series of inconsistent performances. In a five-match ODI leg against South Africa, Australia squandered a 2-0 lead to eventually lose the series 2-3. Their vulnerability against spin in subcontinent conditions was exposed once again when they suffered a 2-1 series loss to India shortly before the World Cup commenced.
Moody’s concerns about Australia’s World Cup campaign
Speaking in an ESPNCricinfo video, Moody expressed his concerns about the current Australian team’s performance. He questioned whether this Australian team could be compared to the former Aussie teams that clinched five World Cup titles. Moody pointed out that the team appeared undercooked and had to grapple with multiple injuries in the lead-up to the tournament.
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“Australia has got a very proud history in 50-over World Cups, with five trophies in the cabinet, a significant achievement. The question is, is this team as good as those teams that won the World Cups? The way they are playing at the moment, they are far from it. They are coming to this tournament undercooked, with a lot of players like Pat Cummins not playing a lot of 50-over cricket or any cricket leading up to the tournament,” said Moody.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also emphasized the team’s struggles in coping with unexpected injuries, mentioning the sudden injury to Travis Head that disrupted their plans. He further noted the inconsistent performances of players like Marnus Labuschagne and Ashton Agar, which added to Australia’s challenges.
“Plus, the out-of the blue injury to Travis Head which sort of threw their thinking around. Marnus Labuschagne came back in and Ashton Agar was injured and could not hold their position. They have faced various obstacles, I am not putting them down as excuses. The bottom line is, the current Australian team, with their preparation, inconsistency in their batting, things are not looking good at the moment,” he added.
