Ian Healy savages Aussies over Cricket World Cup debacle: 'Not good enough'
Pat Cummins' side have been accused of being "unsettled and unprofessional".
Former one-day cricket captain Ian Healy has described Pat Cummins' team as "stiff, tired and anxious" as a second Australian side eyes an early exit from a World Cup. Australia is 0-2 after humiliating defeats to India and South Africa and will likely need to win six of its remaining seven games to stand a chance of advancing to the semi-finals.
One or two more losses will end the Aussies' campaign early and subject the team to the sort of treatment the Wallabies are receiving after their disastrous World Cup performance in France. The Australians have struggled from the moment they set foot in India, failing to find any sort of rhythm or form with bat, ball or in the field.
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There have also been a number of head-scratching selections and their tactics – like inviting South Africa to bat first in Thursday night's game – have been questioned. Healy, who played 168 ODIs and captained Australia eight times in Mark Taylor's absence, does not like what he's seeing and says the team's body language is all wrong.
Ian Healy lashes 'stiff, tired and anxious' Aussies
The former champion wicket-keeper told Radio SEN: "They're (the opposition) so hungry and animated and we're stiff, tired and anxious. South Africa looked like they wanted to eat us alive and India are so animated and into it.
"It's just so unsettled and unprofessional (from Australia). It's not good enough." Healy was also critical of the shock decision to dump regular wicketkeeper Alex Carey for Josh Inglis, who dropped a catch and made just five runs against the Proteas.
"It's a bit of shame when a keeper gets dropped for his batting. What does that indicate? It indicates the top order is not doing their job well enough," Healy said. There is too much being asked of the wicket-keeper with the bat.
"He is a good batsman and he's out of form. I thought it was unfair and unnecessary to have Josh Inglis in the squad because that destabilises the keeper.
"We've never needed a second keeper in a World Cup. Josh Inglis being in the squad is holding a batsman or a bowler out. We don't need a second keeper in the XV. That's not going to help Alex Carey."
Australia sit second last on the 10-team World Cup ladder and are in real danger of dropping out of contention unless they can put some sort of winning run together. A loss to Sri Lanka on Monday will all but end their campaign.
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