Pat Cummins rejected the idea of Australia underperforming to eliminate England from the T20 World Cup, emphasizing that playing to win is essential and anything else would go against the spirit of cricket.
Australian skipper Pat Cummins dismissed the notion of Australia underperforming against Scotland to eliminate England from the T20 World Cup, labeling it against the “spirit of cricket.” This idea gained traction when Josh Hazlewood suggested that easing up in their final Group B game could benefit Australia by removing their rivals, England, from the tournament. However, Cummins clarified that such actions are not in line with fair play.
“When you go out and play you’re trying your best every time. And if you’re not, it’s probably against the spirit of cricket. I don’t think you can (go into a game not trying to win) -– ever. You’re playing an international game in the middle of a World Cup. You still want to try and have a good game and carry that on into the Super Eights. Haven’t really thought too deeply because it’s never really popped up,” Cummins said to the reporters.
Australia, having already secured a spot in the Super Eights, faced backlash after Hazlewood’s comments. England’s dominant win over Oman by eight wickets has now lessened the likelihood of such scenarios, as they moved above Scotland on net run rate with one match remaining against Namibia.
Earlier, Matt Mott, England’s coach, had expressed hope that Hazlewood’s remarks were in jest. Cummins confirmed that they were, emphasizing the importance of always playing to win, especially in an international tournament like the World Cup.
“I was speaking to Joshy, who had a bit of a joke about it the other day, and think it got taken a little bit 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. It’s something you kind of discuss as one of the quirks of the set-up but in terms of does it change the way we play? Absolutely not,” he continued.
“I’ve never stepped into the field without the mindset of trying to take the game on and be aggressive, like the guys have so far,” Cummins added.
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However, with no points or net run rate benefits carried forward to the Super Eight, Australia may rest some players against Scotland. Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, and Ashton Agar could get a chance to play. Mitchell Starc is expected to return after missing the Namibia game due to calf soreness, while Cummins, previously rested, is set to play, with Nathan Ellis having replaced him in earlier matches.
Last Updated on June 14, 2024
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