Rivals get $380,000 without playing as Australia kicked out of T20 World Cup in cruel fashion

Australia has officially been eliminated from the T20 World Cup before their final group game, after the all-important clash between Zimbabwe and Ireland was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Tuesday night. It's the first time Australia hasn't progressed out of the group stage since 2009, and hands Zimbabwe an incredible $380,000 payday.

All teams that make the Super 8 stage win US$270,000, which equates to $380,000 Australian. It's a game-changing prize for an associate nation like Zimbabwe, who shocked Australia with a stunning upset in the group stage.

The Aussies needed Ireland to beat Zimbabwe on Tuesday night to have any hope of progressing, but their exit was sealed when the match was abandoned due to rain. Zimbabwe join Sri Lanka in advancing to the Super 8s from Australia's group.

"As much as we have achieved, it is just a tick in the box and not the whole box," said Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza. "There will be a small celebration, but we will then focus on the next game. It is just a small tick in what we have set out to achieve.

"Everyone loves an underdog story. Every condition we find ourselves in, if we get a day or two to train, we try and learn those conditions. We train, try and assess the conditions, see the previous games (at that venue), and try to put together a good game of cricket."

Aussie cricket legends fume over T20 World Cup disaster

Australia's campaign was doomed by key injuries and the refusal to pick Steve Smith. The former Test captain flew 9000km to Sri Lanka for nothing, after he was added to the squad but not picked for their loss against the host nation.

"We were duped," said Aussie great Ian Healy on SEN radio on Monday. "Just like England cricket in the lead-up to the Ashes where there was defiance if ever criticised, denial that would could be wrong even though we picked a power team to play in finicky, finesse conditions in Sri Lanka and India.

"There was total confidence that we will be right. We have heard it all before when England were here and they assured everyone the game had changed and they had it pegged."

Mark Waugh said: "The whole campaign was doomed from the get-go with selection issues and injuries. I think preparation hasn't been great. It's all unfolded probably the way I thought it would, even though we're in a pretty weak group.

"I know you can't please everybody, and sometimes there are tough calls that can go either way, but to me, the non-selection of Steve Smith in the squad originally is the most baffling non-selection I can remember for ages. I just think they've got the selections completely wrong and to have your best player by 100 yards sitting on the sideline in Steve Smith…I think it's an insult to Steve Smith, to be honest."

Click here to read article