Zimbabwe-Ireland washout knocks Australia out of T20 World Cup in embarrassing low

Australia has been knocked out of the T20 World Cup despite having a match to spare.

The Aussies needed Ireland to beat Zimbabwe but that match has been ruled a washout on Tuesday night (AEDT).

Zimbabwe, who beat Australia, only needed one point to progress to the super eight stage from group B.

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Australia was praying for a miracle after losing by eight wickets to Sri Lanka.

Wicketkeeping great Ian Healy slammed Australia's selectors in the aftermath, arguing they'd "gone soft" and brought about a "low point" in Australian cricket.

Australian captain Mitch Marsh returned from a testicular injury and combined with Travis Head for a 104-run partnership at the top of the order but a late-order collapse hurt the tourists and a Pathum Nissanka century lifted Sri Lanka to victory with 12 balls to spare.

Australia, languishing in the group stage with just two points from three matches, will now play Oman in the final match.

Along with needing Ireland to win, Australia would also have required Sri Lanka to defeat Zimbabwe.

Healy ripped the selectors for omitting superstar batter Steve Smith from the original squad, before flying him over at the last minute but not in time to play Zimbabwe. Smith was not selected to play against Sri Lanka.

"We had the wrong players in there. There is no answer to why Steve Smith was not playing," Healy said on SEN.

"We claim to be clever at developing the future, but it's all gone soft on us in the cushy little club at the top of Australian T20 cricket.

"(Selectors are looking) too long-term with selections and not going with red-hot form.

"The Australian team on the park overnight is not good enough and is playing poorly.

"How did we get to this? Having put so much thought into this, what happened? This is an Australian cricket low point."

After the loss to Sri Lanka, a frustrated Marsh admitted the group was dejected.

"It's a devastated bunch, and we're in the lap of the gods now," he said.

"There's a lot of emotion in the changing rooms right now. We haven't been at our best.

"I dare say we'll all be watching the match tomorrow [between Zimbabwe and Ireland]. Whether it's all together or not we'll wait and see. What do you say? The luck of the Irish?"

Former Australian Test opener Simon Katich was equally disappointed with the performance but saw it coming after the lead-in games in Pakistan.

"It's very much so (embarrassing if Australia doesn't advance through this stage of the tournament)," Katich said on SEN before the elimination had been confirmed.

"That squad would have gone there with high hopes to not only get to the next stage, but try win the tournament.

"It comes as no surprise after seeing their performances first-hand in Pakistan. It was a good wicket there in Lahore and they played three T20s in the space of four days. As a collective, they were smashed with the bat and the ball.

"What it's shown is a number of players are horribly out of form. The BBL is a good competition, but the conditions are so different compared to Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

"It looks like this team has been structured for Indian conditions on flat surfaces, and Sri Lanka is a different kettle of fish.

"That's why there's been such a big outcry about Steve Smith not playing. As last night proved, you need class players of spin, and once again we've been undone by spin.

"I would've played Smith without a doubt, based on form and based on him being our best player of spin."

Nissanka belted 100 from 52 balls as Sri Lanka hunted down Australia's 181 to seal its spot in the super eight stage.

The opener was well supported by first drop Kusal Mendis, who peeled off 51 from 38, and No.4 Pavan Rathnayake, who made an unbeaten 28 from 15.

Earlier, Marsh chalked up 54 from 27 and Head 56 from 29 as the visitors cruised to 104 unscathed.

Middle-order batters Josh Inglis (27 from 22) and Glenn Maxwell (22 from 15) were the only other Australians who made scores of note.

Cameron Green, who in December became the most expensive international player in Indian Premier League history, was stumped for 3 at first drop, only heightening the scrutiny surrounding his unfulfilled potential.

The 26-year-old failed to connect when he danced down the wicket to left-arm orthodox spinner Dunith Wellalage.

Short-form specialist Tim David also failed, caught at long-off trying to smash leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha out of the ground.

The Australians suffered a late-innings collapse of 5-7.

They were bowled out for 181 on the final ball of their innings.

Australia opened its campaign with a 67-run win over Ireland, before losing to Zimbabwe by 23 runs and going down to Sri Lanka.