Experienced Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood understands that England’s chances of advancing to the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup heavily rely on the outcome of their match against Scotland. Hazlewood acknowledged the potential for Australia to strategically play against Scotland in a manner that would eliminate England from the tournament.
England currently has only one point, but with matches against Oman and Namibia remaining, they could be optimistic about earning four points and being on par with Scotland. However, they must also maintain a superior net run rate to Scotland’s even if Scotland loses to Australia.
Addressing reporters after the victory over Namibia, Josh Hazlewood discussed the potential threat posed by England if they progress to the later stages, highlighting how the elimination of the defending champions benefits other teams.
“In this tournament, you potentially come up against England at some stage again and they’re probably one of the top few teams on their day. We’ve had some real struggles against them in T20 cricket. So if we can get them out of the tournament, that’s in our best interest as well as probably everyone else,” he said.
Hazlewood stated that no discussions have taken place regarding their approach to the Scotland game.
Tim Paine desires Australia to eliminate England from the T20 World Cup
He was supportive of the notion of Australia intentionally eliminating England from the T20 World Cup. He clarified that although he wouldn’t wish for Australia to lose to Scotland, they could strategize the chase in a manner that doesn’t significantly impact Scotland’s run rate to the extent that it falls below England’s if both teams are tied on five points.
“I think you can still chase the score late and get England out. it’s not just because it is England. We are trying to win a World Cup. Who is likely to pose a threat in the latter rounds? It is England.”
”If you have a chance to knock out one of the fancied teams in the tournament, do it in a way that’s not bad by deliberately losing a game. I am all for it,” Paine told SEN Cricket.
Australia has secured a place in the Super 8 stage after winning all three of their matches, giving them the luxury of potentially resting some key players against Scotland on June 16.
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