ICC T20 World Cup 2016: Steve Waugh says prioritizing Test cricket reason behind Australia's disappointing show

Steve Waugh in a press conference 

Australian legend Steve Waugh has praised Cricket Australia’s (CA) approach for prioritizing Test cricket over T20 internationals. However, he also believes that it has played a part in Australia’s disappointing show at the World T20 in India.

Australia were eliminated from the group stages after losing two out of their four matches. They finished third in Group two behind New Zealand and host India.

He said, "We probably haven't played enough Twenty20 cricket in the past 12-18 months and we swapped the team about a fair bit,"

To Cricket Australia's credit, we have put Test cricket on a pedestal, we've put that above all else, which I think is a great thing for cricket. Not many other countries are doing that.

Waugh, who is one of the most successful Australian Test captain said a deficiency of scheduled T20Is in the lead up to the world event. He also talked about the squad’s lack of stability were also one of the main factors behind their poor performance.

The players did not find a consistent role in the side – Waugh 

He said, “The downside to that was that the Twenty20 side suffered from players in and out and didn't get a consistent role in the side and they just fell short in India."

Australia played only six T20Is in the last six months prior to the tournament. They played a three-match T20I series against India and then went for a three match T20I tour of South Africa in early March.

Australia also played a three game home series against South Africa at the end of 2014 and then played India in Australia for a Test series in early 2015. Australia played just one T20I in last August at Crdiff against England.

The lack of matches created the instability in the squad pointed out Steve Waugh. Australia tried 19 different players in the three matches against India, among those 10 of whom did not feature in Australia’s World T20 squad. A total of 23 played represented Australia in 10 T20I matches since the start of 2016.

The Australian coach earlier said that the international scheduled is overcrowded   

Earlier in February Australian head coach Darren Lehmann acknowledged the fact that the lack of the overcrowded international scheduled is something that is very tough on the players.

He said, “I don’t know the answer, to be perfectly honest. It’s the way it’s at the moment. You take seven weeks out for the IPL and (have) to fit all the other games in. It makes it tough.”