Australian Captain Cummins Rejects Net Run Rate Manipulation in T20 World Cup
On June 14, 2024, Pat Cummins, the Australian cricket team’s star player, asserted that they would never have contemplated manipulating their net run rate to eliminate England from the T20 World Cup 2024. Cummins firmly believes that such tactics would be against the Spirit of Cricket.
The scenario where Australia could have secured a close victory against Scotland to surpass England’s net run rate and knock them out of the tournament is no longer a possibility. This is because Jos Buttler’s side thrashed Oman in record style, boosting their net run rate over Scotland’s. As a result, if England beat Namibia, Scotland will need to overcome Australia to qualify for the Super Eight.
“I think when you go out and play, you are trying your best every time, and if you are not, that’s probably against the spirit of cricket.”
- Pat Cummins
Cummins, who was previously at the center of a Spirit of Cricket debate regarding Jonny Bairstow’s stumping in the Ashes at Lord’s last year, insisted that such a tactic would never have been considered by the team.
While the possibility of manipulating net run rate is no longer on the table, Australia is likely to rotate some players against Scotland, with an eye on providing game time before the crucial Super Eight stage. Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, and Ashton Agar are yet to feature in the tournament, and there’s a chance they could be given a chance to play.
Mitchell Starc is also on track to be available, having sat out the Namibia game due to some calf soreness against England. Cummins, who is back in the ranks for this tournament with Mitchell Marsh as the captain, acknowledged that resting players may occur in the initial group stage, but he does not expect any such rotations once the Super Eight begins, despite the prospect of five games in ten days with travel in between.
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