Damien Martyn reminds Mohammad Kaif of reality after he flags mighty Aussies’ ‘sharp fall’

Damien Martyn gave it back to Mohammad Kaif for his remarks on Australian cricket's 'fall'.

Updated on: Feb 18, 2026, 14:54:34 IST

Written by Aditya Bhattacharya

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Damien Martyn isn't having any of Mohammad Kaif’s sentiments on Australia’s exit from the T20 World Cup. The 2021 Champions got ousted from the tournament after yesterday’s Zimbabwe vs Ireland Group B match was abandoned due to rain. This was the second time in the 10 editions of the T20 World Cups that Australia failed to progress past the league stage. The Aussies began with a comfortable win against Ireland, but defeats to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka pushed them to the brink of elimination. Once ZIM vs IRE was officially called off, Australia had to pack their bags and take the flight back home.

Damien Martyn, right, had an apt reply to give to Mohammad Kaif (AFP Images)

Kaif, the former Indian batter, took to X to point out the ‘mighty Aussies’, recalling how, since the 2023 World Cup, the Australians have yet to win an ICC tournament. They finished as semi-finalists at last year’s Champions Trophy and runners-up at the 2025 World Test Championship final. Kaif even claimed that had Hardik Pandya played the final on November 19 in Ahmedabad, the outcome would’ve been different.

“Mighty Aussies they were called after winning the 2023 50-overs World Cup. After that, they had a sharp fall. 2024 World T20, 2025 Champions Trophy, 2025 World Test Championship - they were not Mighty. If Hardik Pandya had played the Ahmedabad final in 2023, the Aussies would have lost there too,” Kaif posted.

Martyn, who recently recovered from an induced coma after suffering from meningitis, brought Kaif back down to earth, subtly highlighting the gulf between India and Australia in terms of their trophy cabinets. Australia is the most successful ODI team of all time, winning a record six World Cups and two Champions Trophy titles. Besides, they have won the T20 World Cup and the WTC once, and Martyn ensured he reminded Kaif of Australia’s dominance.

“Can’t be great forever. But the cabinet looks pretty good. It will turn again,” he said. “Will never catch our record haul of trophies,” he wrote in reply to a post.

Martyn himself is a two-time World Cup champion, having won the trophy in 1999, 2003 and 2007 as part of Australia’s reign at the top. Kaif, meanwhile, was part of India’s squad that reached the final of the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, and of course, played a once-in-a-lifetime knock in the final of the 2002 NatWest Trophy the year before.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditya Bhattacharya
Aditya Bhattacharya is the Sports Editor at Hindustan Times Digital, with close to 15 years of experience in sports journalism. Over the course of his career, he has worked with leading media organisations including Cricbuzz, The Times of India, Network18 and Zee. Primarily a cricket writer, Aditya has covered several marquee events, including the 2016 ICC World T20, the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and the 2023 World Cup in India. His reporting portfolio also includes international cricket across England, South Africa and New Zealand, along with forays into tennis, including coverage of the Australian Open. He has interviewed several prominent athletes across sports. Aditya began his career with a brief stint at CricketNext before getting his first major break at Cricbuzz, where he was part of the Times Network’s startup venture GoCricket, which later merged with Cricbuzz. After nearly 18 months there, he moved to The Times of India, covering his first World Cup assignment and reporting first-hand on landmark moments such as Virat Kohli’s iconic innings against Australia in Mohali. During his three-year tenure, he played a key role in both reporting and desk operations and was recognised as TOI Employee of the Quarter in 2016. He later joined Zee, where he covered the 2019 World Cup across five venues in England—an assignment he considers a career highlight. At Hindustan Times, Aditya’s leadership came to the fore as he was promoted to lead the sports team within 18 months. Under his stewardship, the section has delivered extensive coverage of global sporting events, including the IPL, Olympics, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. In 2024, he was named HT DigiStar of the Year. Aditya continues to adapt to the evolving digital publishing landscape, with a sharp focus on search and audience engagement. Outside work, he occasionally plays the guitar and remains an avid gamer.Read More

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