The State of Play
Australia open their bid to land the Grand Slam when they take on Oman in their first game of the T20 World Cup.
The Aussies won the World Test Championship last year and backed that up with a stunning defeat of hosts India in the final of the ODI World Cup in November.
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Becoming the first side in history to hold the trophy in each of the three formats would represent a major feat for those in Baggy Green and, as Australia always reserve their best for these tournaments, you can expect a serious challenge from Mitch Marsh’s side.
That’s not to say their build-up has been perfect with several players making late dashes to the Caribbean after playing in the Indian Premier League.
It’s unlikely to bother them against Oman in what should prove a useful build-up to the more pressing matter of a clash with England at the weekend. With just two teams going through to the next stage, beating Jos Buttler’s men – whose hopes of a winning start against Scotland were dashed by the weather – would put them in a strong position.
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On paper, they look strong throughout although not every player is in sparkling form. Travis Head had a wonderful IPL and should be among the leading run-scorers here but the same cannot be said for Glenn Maxwell, who is in desperate need of runs and wickets.
It amounts to a stern test for Oman, who lost their opening game in Group B to Namibia on a Super Over.
Not that Oman captain Aqib Elias appears phased, insisting Australia were not “extraordinary”. He said: “Once you step into the field, there is no big name, there is no one bigger than you on the field.
“It’s another game for us and we don’t think that we are going to play someone extraordinary.
“I don’t have to go and tell them as a captain that you are going to face [Mitchell] Starc. Already it comes to your mind when you are playing some top bowlers or top cricketers. So it’s been very positive from the management [and] also from the coach, he said we don’t even take their names – it’s just a team that has come and still they are at the same level what we are doing.
“We have also qualified, they have also qualified, one team is going to be the champion so it doesn’t make much difference, though we respect them [and] what they have [done] in the past. That is why they are named as world champions.”
Oman are not going down without a fight against Namibia 👏#T20WorldCup | #NAMvOMAhttps://t.co/EoM9xQuivV
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) June 3, 2024
Expected line-ups:
Australia: Warner, Head, Marsh (c), Maxwell, Stoinis, David, Wade (wk), Cummins, Starc, Zampa, Hazlewood
Oman: Prajapati, Khushi (wk), llyas (c), Maqsood, Kail, A Khan, Nadeem, M Khan, Ahmed, Kaleemullah, B Khan
How to Watch
Sky have the rights to show the T20 World Cup to UK viewers in 2024 and will broadcast every game live. Coverage gets underway on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Action from 1am BST tonight.
In India, the games can be streamed on Disney + Hotstar app and website. They are also available across the Star Sports Network.
Prediction
If Australia weren’t to get off to a winning start, it would represent one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history. The greater threat arguably comes from the Barbados weather with more showers forecast following the abandonment of England’s game with Scotland yesterday.
England will be hoping for similar conditions so they don’t lose any early ground in the standings.
If it stays dry then it should be a routine win for Australia.
