Australia to Bowl First, Prioritizing Super Eight Management and Workload for Key Quicks
Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first against Scotland in their final group stage match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. With one eye on the upcoming Super Eight round, the defending champions are looking to manage the workload of their key fast bowlers.
Scotland didn’t expect the earlier result between England and Namibia to go in their favor, and with clear skies in St. Lucia, they will have to qualify the hard way by beating the tournament favorites.
Australia Rests Key Players, Bringing in Spinners
Australia have rested two of their key players – Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood – for this encounter, as they look to keep their star-studded squad fresh for the condensed Super Eight schedule. Mitchell Starc, who missed the previous game due to a calf niggle, returns to the lineup alongside left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, who will be making his tournament debut. This means Australia will field two frontline spinners, with Agar partnering Adam Zampa, supported by the all-round options of Glenn Maxwell.
“We need to balance giving everyone a game while also ensuring the regular starters maintain their rhythm and continuity,” said chief selector George Bailey.
Bailey expressed confidence in the preparedness of Cameron Green and Josh Inglis, who won’t feature in this match but are ready to step in if required.
Scotland Keeps Faith in Unchanged XI
Scotland, led by Richie Berrington, have named an unchanged XI, keeping faith in Safyaan Sharif over Brad Currie. Berrington acknowledged that they knew they would have to beat some of the best teams to qualify, and they are ready to set a target in their bid for a famous victory against the tournament favorites.
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