In Australia’s unexpected 2021 T20 World Cup triumph Warner was player of the tournament and Marsh was a major force, blazing Australia to the title with a player-of-the-match performance in the final.

However, in this tournament Marsh was modest at best. His top score was 37 and came in the last game against India, raising concerns that captaincy of the T20 side had taken the edge off his game.

Only one player in the side that lost to India on Tuesday (AEST) was under 30, and it showed. Yet even that player, Tim David, 28, has questions about how successful he was as a designated finisher.

Glenn Maxwell, 35, can be devastating but had a disappointing tournament after a poor IPL. Mitchell Starc, one of Australia’s finest all-format players, is 34 and is unlikely to see another World Cup. He failed to make his usual impact in this tournament.

New one-day keeper Josh Inglis should have been preferred to Matthew Wade, 36.

Talented all-rounder Cameron Green must be given an extended run in white ball cricket to so he can loosen up and play with freedom.

The selectors have always backed experience, and it has paid dividends. Australia won the World Test Championship final and one-day World Cup last year with imposing performances against India.

Their attention in the constant cycle of International Cricket Council events turns to the Champions Trophy one-day tournament – a mini World Cup scheduled for next year in Pakistan – but the question of age and experience remains.

Australia’s best bowler against India, Josh Hazlewood, believes this approach should continue.

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“They come around pretty quick; the T20 World Cups every two years. I don’t know, there might be a couple of changes … you’d think it’d be a natural slow change, I don’t think it’ll be anything drastic,” the 33-year-old said after the India match.

“A lot of the guys are still playing franchise cricket if they’re not playing for Australia. So they’re available to be picked. There’s some class players in our team and we have a couple on the bench as well.”

The Twenty20 World Cup may be a fickle tournament, where success and failure are decided by small margins.

After holding their nerve to win the title for the first time in 2021, Australia have failed to qualify for the semi-finals in the last two, hosted by Australia in 2022 and now the West Indies and USA.

Change is inevitable. How much is the question?

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