ICC Champions Trophy 2017: 5 reasons why Australia did not make it to the semi-final

#2 The selection of Moises Henriques

Picking Moises Henriques was a gamble which failed for Australia

A debatable choice in the Australian squad was that of all-rounder Moises Henriques. With merely 8 ODIs and a mediocre domestic record, picking Henriques was a gamble which failed miserably. Instead, the selectors should have opted for the experienced James Faulkner, who has not only developed himself into a destructive finisher is also a highly effective death bowler.

Also, choosing Henriques in the eleven proved futile. Against New Zealand, Australia started with a trio of pacers alongside bowling all-rounder John Hastings. Among other bowling options available were Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head and the rarely used Steven Smith. Yet, Australia gave Henriques a go and benched the explosive Chris Lynn, who can destroy the bowling with hefty blows early in the innings.

Another major blunder was allotting Henriques the number four slot. Used to batting much lower, facing two relatively new balls was always challenging, and Henriques managed scores of 18 – his career-best – and 17. Rather, Lynn at three and Smith at four would have allowed Australia to go big from the beginning, and a more comfortable position for the team would have been Henriques at seven.

With the ball, he was trusted for only 12 overs, with only one wicket against his name. Faulkner’s absence was felt, and Australia now have some thinking to do.