Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup preparations have shades of England’s Ashes disaster unless selectors are willing to admit they have got it wrong and send an SOS for champion batsman Steve Smith.

English management gambled and lost spectacularly in electing to bypass any competitive matches in Australia ahead of their Ashes tour. Instead, they played three one-dayers against New Zealand across the Tasman, losing all convincingly. These monumental errors of judgment were not only highlighted in hindsight – they were recognised contemporaneously in sharp focus. The results would surprise no one outside the England inner circle.

The Ashes caravan has moved on and, with barely time to take a breathless pant, the international calendar turns the page to the T20 World Cup.

Australia appears to have taken a sneaky glance at England’s manual for this tournament.

It was terrific to watch the three-match “warm up” series against Pakistan not because of Australia’s successive record-breaking defeats but to see Gaddafi Stadium filled to the rafters (if it had any) with a rugged-up Punjabi crowd enjoying their hot teas and hotter team. Pakistan played great, Australia played like they just arrived from Mars.

The idea was that a short, sharp series was ideal, up against an excellent opposition in........

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