Pat Cummins, the Australian cricket team member, has firmly stated that Australia would never consider manipulating their net run rate to eliminate England from the T20 World Cup 2024, stressing that such tactics would violate the Spirit of Cricket.
The theoretical scenario where Australia could have narrowly defeated Scotland to oust England was dismissed after England, led by Jos Buttler, convincingly defeated Oman and boosted their net run rate past Scotland’s. Thus, if England wins against Namibia, Scotland will need to beat Australia to progress to the Super Eight.
Earlier comments by Josh Hazlewood had sparked debate when he suggested it might be in Australia’s and other teams’ interests to eliminate England if the opportunity arose. However, Cummins refuted any serious consideration of such tactics, affirming his dedication to fair play.
“When you go out and play you are trying your best every time, and if you are not, that’s probably against the spirit of cricket,” he remarked in St Lucia before the England-Oman match. Cummins clarified that Hazlewood’s comments were made in jest and were taken out of context.
“We’ll go there and just try and play Scotland, who have had a really good tournament so far and will be tough,” he added. With no points or net run rate benefits carried into the Super Eight from the group stage, Australia is expected to rest some players against Scotland.
Australia Expected to Rotate Squad, Including Green, Inglis, and Agar
This might provide an opportunity for Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, and Ashton Agar, who have not yet played in the tournament. Mitchell Starc is anticipated to return after sitting out the Namibia game due to calf soreness, and Cummins himself was rested in the opening match against Oman.
Cummins mentioned he had not discussed player rotation with selectors but anticipated some changes. “I haven’t spoken to the selectors or anyone, so I don’t know what they’re thinking,” he said. “But I wouldn’t be surprised. I know going into the start of the tournament, in a perfect world, we’d get a game into just about all the squad members.”
Cummins Prepared for Intense Super Eight Schedule Despite No Rest Plans
Looking ahead to the Super Eight stage, Cummins, who is back in the squad with Mitchell Marsh as captain, does not expect any rest despite the demanding schedule of five games in ten days with travel involved. He expressed confidence in managing the workload, drawing on experience from Test cricket and leagues like the IPL and BBL.
“It’s a bit of a luxury now in this first section of the tournament, but once we get to the Super Eights, don’t think there’ll be any resting,” he said. “We are used to playing Test cricket, so four overs is a breeze. There’s no workload issues at all.” Cummins concluded that prioritizing sleep and recovery would be essential, but the team is accustomed to such busy schedules.
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