Australian cricketer Pat Cummins clarified that there was no intention to deliberately ease off against Scotland in their last group match to knock England out of the Twenty20 World Cup. He explained that Josh Hazlewood's remarks about potentially slowing down the run rate were meant humorously. Australia had secured a spot in Group B's Super Eight stage, with Scotland also poised to advance due to their superior net run-rate. However, England's dramatic turnaround on Thursday, where they bowled out Oman for 47 and chased the target in just 19 balls, significantly improved their net run-rate, now higher than Scotland's. England is anticipated to defeat Namibia in their final match, matching Scotland's points. Hazlewood had earlier joked about preferring to eliminate England early to avoid facing them later in the tournament. Cummins emphasized that Australia would approach the game against Scotland, who have performed well in the tournament, with full intensity. He reiterated that the team's aggressive approach remains unchanged, regardless of the net run-rate implications. Australia is set to play Scotland on Saturday in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia.
Text: Lara Palmer
14.06.2024
Clarification on Hazlewood's Joke Amidst Net Run-Rate Controversy in T20 World Cup