England's head coach, Matthew Mott, commented on Josh Hazlewood’s remarks about possibly manipulating net run rate during Australia's match against Scotland to potentially eliminate England from the T20 World Cup, suggesting he hopes they were made in jest.
As England prepares to face Oman in Antigua on Thursday, they find themselves needing significant victories in their remaining matches to catch up to Scotland on points and net run rate. With Scotland scheduled to play Australia after England’s final match, Hazlewood hinted that Australia might adjust their play to improve Scotland’s net run rate, aligning with Australia's interest in knocking England out of the competition.
Reflecting on Hazlewood's statement, Mott told BBC Sport that growing up in Australia instils a strong will to win in every game. He expressed his hope that Hazlewood's comment was a light-hearted remark from someone enjoying themselves, noting that manipulating match outcomes in this way would violate the International Cricket Council's code of conduct, not its anti-corruption regulations. If found guilty, Australia’s captain, Mitchell Marsh, could face a ban for up to two matches and a fine, as determined by the match referee.
Australia confirmed their advancement to the Super 8s by chasing a target of 73 in just 5.4 overs against Namibia on Tuesday. Should they face a similar scenario against Scotland, a slower chase would boost Scotland’s net run rate.
Hazlewood was asked if it would be in Australia’s interest to hinder England’s progress as much as possible. He affirmed, suggesting that Australia’s history of struggles against England in T20 cricket could justify eliminating them from the tournament. He hinted at the possibility of dragging out the game if needed but later emphasised that gaining confidence from a win would be more valuable than trying to knock another team out. Mott, interpreting Hazlewood’s comments as potentially dry humour, stated that he would not consider such tactics if the roles were reversed.
England's Path to the Super 8s
For England to surpass Scotland in net run rate through their matches against Oman and Namibia, they need to achieve two substantial wins. Scotland, with a current net run rate of 2.164 compared to England's -1.800, holds a significant advantage. If Scotland loses to Australia but the match extends to a super over, not affecting their net run rate, England would need a combined victory margin of 117 runs across their two games to advance.
Captain Jos Buttler believes that the team must focus on earning their wins and not become distracted by the various permutations. Oman, sitting at the bottom of Group B with three losses, is out of contention for a top-two finish.
Mott echoed Buttler’s sentiments, praising his level-headed approach and stressing the importance of earning the right to play aggressively. England, with a fully fit squad, are likely to bring in Reece Topley as a tactical change. In their previous games, Oman’s top order has struggled against left-arm pace, particularly against bowlers like Ruben Trumpelmann and Mitchell Starc.