Mumbai,31 March। Leg spin legend Shane Warne says Australia's "funky" selections cost them a place in the final four of their World T20 campaign.
Australia bowed out in the Super 10 phase for the second tournament running as they lost to New Zealand and then India - the hosts.
"First of all, our selection was wrong in my opinion," Warne was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au on Thursday.
"I don't think we got that right, we messed around with it too much rather than sticking with what's been a proven formula and we probably didn't play well enough, which is the brutal truth."
Warne said Khawaja - inspite of his brilliant form - should have been sent at No.3 and that David Warner and Aaron Finch should have opened the batting.
"I know Khawaja was in unbelievable form and had to play but I would have batted him at No.3. I don't think they should have broken up Finch and Warner and I think it upset the balance of the team," he said.
"Those two guys had been batting together for a long time, they have done well in Twenty20, they've done well in one-day cricket, and suddenly they got split up."
"And I just would never, ever have left Aaron Finch out. Even if he missed out in a few games, I think that Finch-Warner partnership, it's an intimidatory factor before a ball was bowled and people would have worried about Finch and Warner," Warne added.
"It's not to say they didn't worry about Khawaja, but I just think the other two are more destructive," he concluded.
Agency