Australia captain George Bailey refuses to give his side a definitive pass mark following their World Twenty20 exit, saying it stings to be knocked out in the semi-finals when they had the talent to go further.
Bailey’s side, who went into the tournament with a world ranking of No.9, were thrashed by West Indies who belted 4-205 and bowled Australia out for 131.
Chris Gayle thrilled the Colombo crowd by hitting six sixes in his 41-ball 75 to claim the man-of-the-match award, while Bailey played a lone hand in Australia’s innings with a career-best 63 off just 29 deliveries.
The Windies will play Sri Lanka in Sunday’s final (0030 Monday AEST).
“Is a top-four finish a pass? I’m sitting here feeling like we could have won the tournament,” Bailey said.
“But once you get to the knockout stages you’ve got to be playing your best cricket.
“So if we were sitting here and it had been a really close game, maybe.
“But I just feel like we got completely outplayed by a better team tonight so perhaps four is a pass.
“It stings that we haven’t won this tournament. Australian cricket’s very proud of what it’s achieved and we haven’t won a World Twenty20 tournament so that hurts.”
After Australia put so much time into planning for ways to stop Gayle scoring his second half-century against them for the tournament, Bailey admitting to a feeling of helplessness as the big Jamaican cut loose.
Bailey said cameo knocks from Dwayne Bravo (31) and Kieron Pollard (38 off 15 balls) kept the pressure off Gayle.
Gayle added 65 runs in 25 deliveries for the Windies’ fourth wicket with Pollard as spinner Xavier Doherty (1-48 off three overs) found himself in the firing line.
Doherty bowled the 20th over which cost 25 runs including three consecutive sixes by Pollard.
Bailey, whose value to the side was questioned by former Test skipper Ian Chappell, said it was a hollow feeling to get a big score in a losing side.
Bailey says he wants to lead the side in the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh.
“It’s the first time that I’ve felt it’s become a team,” Bailey said.
“In the last few months we’ve started to treat our T20 team like our one-day team and our Test team in the way we pick it.”
Bailey was Australia’s only batsman to reach 20 but he refused to blame middle-order comrades Cameron White, David Hussey and Matthew Wade for the defeat.
“If you’re going to get 205 the blokes who are going to get the runs are your opening batters and number three,” Bailey said.
Australia never recovered after legspinner Samuel Badree removed their leading batsman Shane Watson and fellow opener David Warner cheaply.
