Cricket

The Australian cricket team's arrival in the Caribbean for the T20 World Cup was marred by lost luggage, flight delays, and gusty winds. However, all-rounder Ashton Agar revealed that a cruise along the stunning coastline of Barbados helped calm the players' nerves.Pace spearhead Pat Cummins and fellow fast bowler Mitchell Starc returned to Australia after the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a short break. Cummins lost his luggage while en route to the West Indies, but it eventually reached him. Starc and Glenn Maxwell also faced flight delays, spending nights in Los Angeles and Miami before arriving in Barbados.Marcus Stoinis missed a practice match due to a late delivery of his kit. Despite these setbacks, Agar said a cruise on Saturday brought a sense of tranquility to the team."A lot of the boys are coming off a long time in India in the IPL, maybe 48 hours at home for a couple of them, so to do something like that is so refreshing," Agar told reporters. "I think mentally once you've done that, you go into the sessions ready to go, because you've already enjoyed what the Caribbean has to offer."Agar highlighted the memorable moment of watching the sunset from the catamaran. "You've got all the boys sitting on the roof watching the sun go down, having a drink together, having a genuinely good time and enjoying each other's company. It was pretty easy to forget you're here for a World Cup," he quipped.Despite the distractions, Agar attended an optional training session. "Before a tournament where you're not going to train too much when the matches come thick and fast, you want to get all your drills in," he said. "You want to make sure you're good to go, your mechanics are working well, nailing that four-to-six meter length, getting my shoulder on the right path."Australia will open their T20 World Cup campaign against Oman on June 5.

Australian cricket team coach Andrew McDonald has added Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short as travelling reserves for the T20 World Cup in the Americas. Fraser-McGurk, a 22-year-old opener, impressed in his debut IPL season with Delhi Capitals, scoring four half-centuries in nine games at a strike rate of over 234. Short, an all-rounder, provides depth in the middle order and can also bowl spin.McDonald explained the rationale behind their inclusion: "Fraser is an out-and-out opener, while Short has grown into the team through the middle order and offers spin bowling ability. We feel like Short is a spinning all-rounder like Glenn Maxwell, and Fraser-McGurk is a top-order player."The coach emphasized that the reserves can only play if there is an injury in the squad. However, Australia has other options in Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett, who are playing in the UK, in case of a bowling injury.Regarding David Warner's fitness concerns, McDonald stated that the 37-year-old is fully fit and available for selection. Australia's opening group stage match is against Oman in Barbados on June 6.