T20 World Cup 2024: Australia might rest some players in potential Group B decider game against Scotland

Australia ( Source : X / Twitter )

Australia have the opportunity to make changes in their team selection for the final Group B match against Scotland after virtually securing progress to the Super Eights stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. A victory against Namibia on Tuesday would guarantee Australia’s place in the next round with a game to spare.

With their seeding in Group 1 of the Super Eights predetermined, Andrew McDonald’s side could make some changes in the XI against Scotland on Sunday with no pressure on the result.

“[Against] Namibia, we need a win to guarantee ourselves a way through. And then after that, once we’ve firmed up that qualification, then we can start to look at that potential if we feel like it’s necessary, we know if we win this one, then we get the ‘Q’ next to our name,” McDonald said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

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We’re not really focused on England and where they’re at: Andrew McDonald

Defeat to Australia and a no-result game against Scotland have left defending champions, England needing big wins over Oman and Namibia to overtake Scotland’s superior net run rate. The Scottish side also have the advantage of playing the final group game, knowing exactly what target they require.

“We’re not really focused on England and where they’re at. We played them, we’ve moved past them and we’ll do what’s important to us within those [remaining] games… England have clearly got their own work to do in the next couple of games,” McDonald added.

The Australia head coach admitted some frustration that his team’s efforts in the group stage will not be shown in the Super Eights, as net run rates will be reset and their status as second seeds locked-in regardless of results.

“The only thing is that you don’t carry your NRR through to the Super Eights, which is a little bit interesting. The whole tournament starts again. I would have liked to have seen the benefit of the early rounds, and what you were able to do in the early rounds, even right down to the seeds. We’re seeded No. 2. We can’t change that seeding, so it doesn’t change what happens in the Super Eights for us,” he further added.

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