Former Australian test batter Mark Waugh has expressed a surprising solution for Australia's woes against the top T20 sides.
His would-be fix is to drop Pat Cummins for Cameron Green and to move Green into the opening partnership.
His idea comes after Australia's bounce-back win over Sri Lanka by seven wickets last night, which was a much better effort than their opener against New Zealand, in which the Aussies were thoroughly defeated, but not a good enough effort for Waugh.
"It was a win for Australia, but I'd have to say it was a pretty ordinary performance," Waugh said on RSN Breakfast Club.
"They've got to improve 100 yards to beat the good teams.
"I'd bring Cameron Green in and I'd bring him in for Pat Cummins ... and I'd let him open the batting.
"The selectors have been very, very conservative for the last six months. It's time to grow some kahunas I reckon."
While it is true Cummins isn't in his finest T20 form, bowling at the side's worst economy in game one (11.50) and the second worst on Tuesday night (9.00), with only one wicket to his name, he remains a star of international cricket, and his omission would shock the cricket world if it were to happen.
He's the captain of the ODI and test teams, and he's a proven wicket-taker at all levels; sitting him down for Green seems reactive and desperate.
But you can see where Waugh is coming from. With a match against England in two days, just weeks after losing to them 2-0 on home soil, something has to change.
Furthermore, winning against Sri Lanka puts Australia with just one win in their last five T20 internationals, and they are the lowest-ranked side they faced through all five.
So while Cummins is one of our go-to strike weapons, Waugh may be right in that it could be up to the selectors to do something drastic for us to have a chance against the best teams.
