NEWS
Follow UsWhat Australia did to Namibia in Match 25 of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Antigua on June 11 (Tuesday) was brutal. Australia first bundled them out for just 72 in 17 overs and then hunted down the target in only 5.4 overs. In the process, they became the second team after South Africa to qualify for the Super 8s
As a result, Australia’s last group game against Scotland on June 15 will serve as a dead rubber for Mitchell Marsh and his men and they can afford to breathe a bit easy before the next round. And Andrew McDonald had already hinted that Australia might try a couple of new players against Scotland.
“Have a ‘Q’ next to home, I guess, and sort of not stuck anywhere for Super 8s. We've still got one game left but I guess we can ease off a little bit over the next few days and freshen up when the Super 8s is quite taxing it looks like - the schedule with flights and late games and early flights so yeah, we'll freshen up for that,” said Josh Hazlewood.
“It's up to the coaches and the captain and the selectors, but I think quite a few of us, well I haven't been playing so I'm still keen to get out there and still work on a couple of things but I mean the guys have been playing IPL, so potentially one or two of those might have a rest but it hasn't been a gruelling schedule. A game every three or four days isn't too tough in T20 cricket. So, yeah, I think it would be up to, almost up to the individual, I think, in that regard.”
It was Adam Zampa who once again wreaked havoc with his legspin. The 32-year-old, who was also amongst wickets against Oman and England, took 4/12 against Namibia and was named Player of the Match. The leggie is now the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the competition and also became the first Australian to go past 100 wickets in T20Is.
“He's been fantastic for us. I think in the England game in particular he came on and bowled outstanding and then tonight got rewards for his hard work. He's just crucial for us through the middle. If we can set the tone and grab one or two early and get him through the middle order and lower order, as we saw tonight, he can really make some damage. And yeah, 100 T20I wickets is outstanding. First male to do it for Australia so yeah, congrats.
“We know his importance. We've seen it time and time again whether it be one-day cricket or T20 cricket, often in big tournaments and in big games as well. We know his importance, 100 T20 wickets, first one there, played the most T20 for Australia as a bowler. He's ticking a lot of boxes and continues to. I think the big thing is he continues to improve all the time. He's always working on something and nailing down his lengths or whatever it is.”
Hazlewood himself picked up 2 for 18 and doesn’t want to miss a single game. “I think just that rhythm, just keep bowling. I mean you can do it at training but I think in a game it's so much better getting that experience and again different wicket, so it's just about adapting. I get better the more I play usually and the ball's coming out pretty well at the minute - but we'll probably get put under a little bit more pressure against Scotland and there might be some death options that we're working on and trying to nail down.”
Australia played their first two matches in Barbados before shifting to Antigua. Their last game is against Scotland in St Lucia. “In terms of probably the wind that's always there, so you've got to use that to your advantage as best you can as a bowling group,” said Hazlewood.
“And I think it's just about adapting and probably communication of the two things we use, we work on quite a bit as a bowling group and getting that information around pretty quickly of how the wickets reacting what's going to work best in these conditions and make sure everyone knows that and it gets around and we adapt.”
In the run chase against Namibia, David Warner smoked 20 off 8 deliveries, while Travis Head remained unbeaten on 34 off 17. “Dave's obviously been there from the start, played a lot of cricket with him. But having Trav there, they're obviously both left-handers but they score runs in different parts of the field and the bowler has to adapt his line to both of them.
“It's hard work for the bowler, that's for sure. We saw Trav work through for the IPL, just light it up. I think one opener has to do it. The game is so short that one opener just has to take it upon himself and I think with us it can be either one. Trev's probably more likely but I think it's the either one that can really light it up in the first six and you definitely need that in these conditions.”
Australia now also have a chance of knocking England out of the competition. If Scotland beat Australia, they go through to the next round. Even if Australia win by a narrow margin, Scotland will most likely qualify due to their superior NRR.
"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 and 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," Hazlewood said.
"It'll be interesting to see. We've never really been in this position before as a team, I don't think, so whether we have discussions or not, we'll just try and play it again the way we did tonight. That'll be up to people, not me."
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