T20 World Cup: Travis Head admits Australia weren't good enough
What's the story
Travis Head, Australia's T20I vice-captain and captain for two games in the 2026 T20 World Cup, has admitted that the team "weren't good enough" at the tournament. The admission comes after Australia's early exit from the competition. Head was speaking ahead of his return to Sheffield Shield cricket for South Australia. He said he was always keen on returning to red-ball cricket after their disappointing campaign.
Statement
Here's what Head said
"We weren't good enough, and that's as simple as that," Head told reporters in Adelaide on Tuesday. "Obviously a difficult campaign, and difficult to be a part of, and frustrating for a few people. We had a really, really good 18 months leading up to probably Pakistan, but for various reasons with the team and exiting Big Bash and whatnot, we weren't able to get a bit of momentum."
Exit
Defeats to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka cost Australia
Among the favorites, Australia's campaign was eventually marred by successive defeats to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. They hence could not even qualify for the Super 8 stage. While Sri Lanka (6 points) sealed their Super 8 berth with three wins in four games, Zimbabwe (7 points) were the other team to qualify from Group B. Australia (4 points) struggled with two defeats and two wins.
Player participation
White-ball players return to red-ball cricket
Eight out of the 16 players who went to the T20 World Cup will be seen in at least one of the next two Sheffield Shield rounds. The players include Head, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Matt Renshaw, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Matt Kuhnemann and World Cup reserve Sean Abbott. Round nine of the tournament starts on Thursday.
Final showdown
White-ball specialists available for One-Day Cup final
White-ball specialists Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, and Ben Dwarshuis are available for the One-Day Cup final on March 11. The match will see Tasmania take on New South Wales at Bellerive Oval. However, Steven Smith won't play in the Sheffield Shield before heading to the Pakistan Super League later this month.
Future plans
IPL on the cards for Head
Head will play for South Australia against New South Wales in Adelaide from Thursday. However, it will be his only game before heading off to the IPL to play for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He confirmed that he won't be available for the final if South Australia qualifies. Despite his preference to open the batting for South Australia ahead of his next Test assignment against Bangladesh in August, Head said he didn't want to disrupt his side's momentum as they push for a Shield final.
Match details
Green and Inglis's availability
Green will miss the match against Queensland at the Gabba but is set to play in the next match against New South Wales. He will only play as a batter in the Shield game due to his back problems. Inglis, on the other hand, will play against Queensland but miss out on the game against New South Wales as he prepares for his wedding in early April.