Short-Staffed Australian Cricket Team Use Coaches In T20 World Cup Warm-Up Match, Here's Why

The start of Australia's T20 World Cup campaign witnessed a strange start as the Aussies had to field members of the coaching staff in their warm up match against Namibia. While some of the players had to miss out because of their recent duties in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024), some players will be arriving in the coming days in order to take part in the quadrennial event.

ODI World cup winner Pat Cummins will be joining the camp along with his Travis Head and Mitchell Starc before Australia's first group match against Oman on June 5.

Josh Hazlewood's spell against Namibia in the Warm Up match:

4-3-5-2. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vrWapPij6b

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 29, 2024

9-Men Australia Win T20 World Cup Warm Up Match

Chief selector George Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald had to step in as substitute fielders during Australia's T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up match against Namibia on Tuesday. Currently, Australia has only 9 of their 15 squad members present at the World Cup, as Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, and Marcus Stoinis are on a break following the IPL. Consequently, head coach Andrew McDonald, assistants Brad Hodge and Andre Borovec, along with chief selector George Bailey, filled in as substitute fielders during the game.

The 2021 champions showcased strong form, chasing down Namibia's total of 119/9 with ease, finishing the match with 10 overs to spare, thanks to a rapid half-century from David Warner (54*). Warner's unbeaten 54 included six fours and three massive sixes, scored in just 21 deliveries, which is an encouraging sign for Australia following Warner's inconsistent performance in the recent IPL.

Earlier in the day, a warm-up match between the USA and Bangladesh in Dallas was cancelled due to rain, while the Netherlands secured a 20-run victory over Sri Lanka in Florida. Australia is placed in Group B alongside rivals England, Namibia, Scotland, and Oman. They will commence their tournament campaign against Oman on June 5 in Barbados.

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