Australia Considers Manipulating Margin of Victory to Eliminate England from T20 World Cup

Australia's Josh Hazlewood has hinted that his team may consider manipulating the margin of victory in their upcoming match against Scotland to potentially eliminate England from the 2024 T20 World Cup.

With England's fate hanging in the balance after their defeat to Ireland, Australia could potentially win their final group match by a narrow enough margin to ensure Scotland qualifies for the Super Eights at England's expense.

Hazlewood acknowledged that such a scenario would be in Australia's best interests, as England has been a formidable opponent in T20 cricket. "If we can get them out of the tournament, that's in our best interest as well as probably everyone else," he said.

The possibility of Australia manipulating the result has drawn comparisons to the 1999 ODI World Cup, when Australia engaged in a go-slow batting performance against West Indies to secure extra points for the Super Sixes.

Hazlewood suggested that Australia could employ similar tactics, such as "knocking it around and dragging it out" to control the pace of the match. However, he emphasized that the team's primary focus would be on winning well rather than solely on eliminating England.

The absence of run-rates carrying forward to the Super Eights means that Australia would not be penalized for taking their foot off the gas. Hazlewood expressed surprise at this rule, stating that it devalues the performances in the group stage.

Meanwhile, Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus remained diplomatic about the potential implications of their match against England. While acknowledging that an upset could eliminate England, he emphasized that Namibia's focus was on playing to their best abilities.

Tags: #T20WorldCup2024, #Australia, #England, #Scotland, #Namibia