Australia Rejects Net Run Rate Manipulation to Eliminate England

Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, has vehemently denied any possibility of his team manipulating their net run rate to eliminate England from the T20 World Cup 2024. Cummins emphasized that such tactics would violate the Spirit of Cricket.

Initially, Australia had the potential to defeat Scotland by a margin that could have eliminated England. However, England's emphatic victory over Oman significantly boosted their net run rate, rendering the scenario moot.

Despite Josh Hazlewood's earlier comments suggesting that it would be in Australia's best interests to knock out England, Cummins dismissed them as non-serious. He reiterated that Australia's focus is always on playing to the best of their abilities, regardless of the potential impact on other teams.

"I think when you go out and play, you are trying your best every time," Cummins said. "Haven't really thought too deeply because it's never really popped up."

Cummins acknowledged that net run rate is a factor in the tournament format, but he stressed that it does not alter Australia's approach to the game.

"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 said.

With no points or net run rate carried forward to the Super Eight stage, Australia is likely to rest some players against Scotland. Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, and Ashton Agar are potential candidates for inclusion.

Mitchell Starc is expected to be available after recovering from calf soreness. Cummins himself was rested for the opening match against Oman.

Cummins indicated that player rotation may occur during the group stage but not in the Super Eight stage, despite the demanding schedule.

"It's a bit of a luxury now in this first section of the tournament, but once we get to the Super Eights, don't think they'll be any resting," he said.

Tags: #T20WorldCup2024, #SpiritOfCricket, #PatCummins, #JoshHazlewood, #England