Who Are Australia?
Australia played in the first ever international T20 match, when they played against England in 2005 at the Rose Bowl. Since then Australia have played in 159 T20 international match, winning 83 and losing 70 (including three ties and three match that had no result). Australia has played in every T20 World Cup and their best year came in the most recent World Cup in 2021 where they were crowned champions.
Australia is currently captained by Aaron Finch and coach by the newly appointed Andrew McDonald who was also former Australian and Victorian player. Their kit is typically some variation of green and gold, which is the national colours of Australia. At the time of writing are ranked fifth in the world for T20 cricket.
Australia has been blessed with some extremely talented T20 cricketers, the likes of David Warner, Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Mitchell Starc, Shane Watson, and Adam Zampa.
The T20 History of Australia
Compared to Australia’s other records in other formats of the game many have always thought that Australia have underperformed in T20 cricket. This is largely due to the fact that before 2021 they had never won a T20 World Cup. However, prior to 2021 they had reached the semi-finals twice and were runners up in the 2010 World Cup in the Caribbean when they were comfortably beaten by England in the final. However, Australia’s time eventually came in 2021.
Australia went into the 2021 tournament as severe underdogs because of their recent lack of form and due to it being in UAE which were the sort of conditions that Australia do not normally succeed in. Australia was not expected to make it out of the group stages. But they did so, reaching the semi-finals, beating Pakistan by five wickets thanks to some late power hitting from Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis.
Then, against the odds went on to beat local Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand by a comfortable eight wickets thanks to Mitchell Marsh’s 77 not out. David Warner was named player of the tournament and the win will go down as Australia’s greatest moment in T20 International cricket.
Who Holds the T20 Records for Australia?
The explosive opening pair of current captain Aaron Finch and David Warner are the two standout batsmen for Australia in it T20 international history. Finch and Warner are ranked first and second on the list for Australia’s highest run scorers in T20 cricket and ranked fifth and seventh for the leading run scorers of all-time in T20 international cricket.
Finch has amassed 2,741 runs in 89 innings which includes the highest ever score in an innings in T20 international cricket, scoring a mammoth 172 versus England at the Rose Bowl in 2013. Warner is close behind him, scoring 2,554 runs in 88 innings with a record 21 fifties.
Australia’s bowling has been less dominant in T20 international cricket. But leg spinner Adam Zampa is a standout, he is the country’s leading wicket taker in the format with 71 wickets from 61 innings.
Mitchell Starc is also one of the most deadly limited overs bowlers in the whole of cricket and he is Australia’s second highest wicket taker with 60 wickets in 50 matches. Whilst left-arm spinner Ashton Agar holds the best match figures for an Australian bowler, taking 6 wickets for 30 runs.
