Simon Doull's bold Aussie selection call after New Zealand drubbing
Australia conceded an even 200 with the ball at the SCG on Saturday, taking just three wickets in a New Zealand onslaught.
Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins both went wicketless in the encounter and Doull believes the latter should make way for Kane Richardson in the playing XI.
"I think Australia would be concerned, I'd be concerned with some of the parts of the bowling," Doull told Zainab Abbas on the Digital Dailyin the aftermath of Australia's loss.
"I said the other night in the warm-up match, I feel personally that Pat Cummins shouldn't be playing in this T20 side.
"I think Kane Richardson should be playing. I feel that he offers them a few variations that they just don't have. It's same-same. It's pace on, pace on, pace on. Starc, (Josh) Hazlewood, Cummins - they don't have a really good change-up bowler.
"We saw from Tim Southee tonight (Saturday) with some of those change-ups that 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 though to drop."
New Zealand demolish Australia in Super 12 opener | Match Highlights | T20WC 2022
Match highlights of New Zealand securing a massive 89-run victory over Australia in the first Super 12 match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022.
Richardson was a squad member in Australia's victorious campaign last year, though did not feature in the playing XI at any stage in the UAE. The side instead stuck to their guns on the bowling side, with Ashton Agar only coming in for one match at the expense of Mitchell Marsh.
Australia's heavy loss puts them in a hole when factoring net run rate, and Doull believes the result is a double defeat of sorts, knowing the side are now susceptible to go down on a tie-breaker should they be level on points with other teams in the semi-final race.
"That's a drubbing, that is a proper win and it really hurts Australia's net run rate for the future in the tournament, and it just helps New Zealand enormously," he said.
"I gave them about an 80/20 chance of winning, or a 20 percent chance basically, but they surprised me."
In spite of the negatives, Doull lauded the work of the New Zealand side, who took the game away from the hosts inside their batting Powerplay.
Domestic team-mates Devon Conway and Finn Allen put on 56 for the first wicket in just 4.1 overs, with Allen making 42 off just 16 balls.
"I think sometimes we look too much at poor performances and don't pay enough credit to the opposition," Doull said.
"I think Finn Allen took it away from them in that early stanza he stood up, and the one thing about Finn Allen, he doesn't have any of that hangover from last year because he wasn't there, he didn't bat in that game."
Conway by contrast played his part to perfection, finishing with 92 at a strike rate of 158.62, though was facilitated by the aggressiveness of his partner as they took the match by the scruff of the neck.
"The way Devon plays and the way that Kane Williamson plays is allowed in that case because of Finn Allen as well," Doull said.
"He's (Conway) a typical sort of opening batter that just has an array of shots that allows him to be good enough in the T20 format, and that cover drive is as pure as most in the world at the moment."
"He anchored that innings beautifully."