Ricky Ponting has said Australia missed the ‘aura’ that once defined them at ICC events, during this T20 World Cup.

The Mitchell Marsh-led team, bothered by injuries, crashed out of the group stages by losing two of their three matches. Their final match is against Oman on Friday.

“It’s been a really poor campaign, it has to be said,” Ponting said on the ‘ICC Review’. “They had some injury concerns at the start with (Josh) Hazlewood and (Pat) Cummins being ruled out and then Tim David not available right at the start as well. But I think just losing to Zimbabwe like they did, that’s going to be the game that they’re going to think back and think like that’s our World Cup gone, there and then.

“You look at that Australian team on paper, it just doesn’t look to have that sort of aura around it that a lot of other Australian teams have going into ICC events and World Cups,” the former captain said.

“You need to have your best players and your most experienced players standing up and winning big moments for you in these tournaments if you want to go ahead and win, and Australia haven’t had that.

“They probably haven’t got enough out of their top-order batting with Cameron Green at No. 3, and then Tim David coming in at No. 4 for the last couple of games. They went off to a great start the other night (against Sri Lanka) and then to lose six for 20… taking no momentum at all into the second part of the game.”

Ponting thinks many of the regulars in the T20 side are nearing the end of their careers. “Glenn Maxwell, I don’t think will be there,” he said.

“I think it looks to me like his career is coming towards an end. Marcus Stoinis would also probably be a question mark, but he’s predominantly playing only T20 tournaments around the world these days. Doesn’t play a lot of state cricket and obviously plays the BBL, so with his all-round ability, he might be there.

“Steve Smith has been very vocal about wanting to be a part of an Olympic team as well. Whether or not that happens is a different story.”

Ponting knows how thin the margins can be in T20 cricket, and how one mis-step can undo weeks of hard work.

“I think looking at the pool before the start of the tournament, I felt Sri Lanka would be difficult to beat at home and that’s certainly the way it turned out,” he said.

“They played really well against Australia. That was an amazing run chase when
you look at it. That sort of score is never an easy one to chase down.

“But to think that Zimbabwe outplayed Australia in an ICC event, it’s those opportunities that you can’t afford to give up in a tournament like this.”