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We need to get better at spin, says Australia's Wade

August 10, 2021 12:48 IST

Matthew Wade, who top-scored for Australia with 22 against Bangladesh on Monday, said he did not blame the team's younger players for the series loss

IMAGE: Matthew Wade, who top-scored for Australia with 22 against Bangladesh on Monday, said he did not blame the team's younger players for the series loss. Photograph: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters

Australia stand-in skipper Matthew Wade has lamented the team's batting in Bangladesh after they crumbled in the T20 series finale with a record low score.

Bangladesh thrashed Australia by 60 runs in Dhaka on Monday to secure a comprehensive 4-1 series win, with the tourists' batsmen managing just 62 in 13.4 overs, their worst ever total in the format.

 

"There's not a lot of positives to take out of it, to get beaten in the fashion we did ... was not good enough from an Australian cricket team regardless of the personnel we've got here," Wade told reporters.

"The reality is we need to get better at spin, myself included. There's a lot of players in this team who need to find a way to score runs in these conditions."

The series loss follows Australia's 4-1 defeat in T20s to West Indies last month.

A slew of Australia's first-choice players elected to skip the tours and regular captain Aaron Finch was ruled out of Bangladesh with a knee injury.

But the series defeats have raised alarm bells before the T20 World Cup in United Arab Emirates and Oman in October and November.

Wade, who top-scored for Australia with 22 on Monday, said he did not blame the team's younger players.

"Myself, Moises (Henriques), Dan Christian, we are all experienced players and we needed to do better," he said.

"Those (younger) guys got the opportunity to experience these conditions and if they take it as a learning opportunity to become better players, as we all should, then at least we've learnt something.

"I've played a lot of cricket and they are certainly the most challenging T20 international pitches I've ever played on.

"What they've seen out here will be very valuable going forward but it's on the senior batting group, we needed to get more runs."

Windies recall Brooks, Holder and rest Bravo and Gabriel

Fast bowler Chemar Holder has returned from injury to be included in a 17-man West Indies squad for their two-test series against Pakistan that gets under way at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Thursday.

Middle-order batsman Shamarh Brooks is also recalled after having, like Holder, last played in the test series in New Zealand in December.

Left-hander Darren Bravo and fast bowler Shannon Gabriel have been left out, Cricket West Indies said.

“Shannon Gabriel has been given time to rehab fully and build his conditioning. Darren Bravo has been part of the ‘bubble’ from the preparation camp leading into the test series against South Africa and has been given a break,” said lead selector Roger Harper.

The first Test is from August 12-16 and the second test, also at Sabina Park, from Aug. 20-24.

Squad:

Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase, Joshua da Silva, Jahmar Hamilton, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican.

Shaun Tait appointed Afghanistan bowling coach

Former Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait on Monday was appointed Afghanistan national team's bowling coach with immediate effect.

"During his prime, Tait was one of history's fastest bowlers clocking extreme pace of 160 kph," the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said in an official statement. He was part of the Australian squad that triumphed in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, taking 23 wickets in the tournament. He was also part of the Australian squad which ended second in the 2010 ICC T20 World Cup.

Overall, Tait played 35 ODIs, 21 T20Is, and three Tests for Australia taking 62, 28, and five wickets in each format respectively.

Tait is a level-two certified coach from Cricket Australia and has coached various domestic and some international franchise teams including Melbourne Renegades in BBL.

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