(Credit ICC)

Tim Paine, the former Australian Test captain, has sparked uproar by proposing that the Mitchell Marsh-led Australian cricket team strategically approach their upcoming Group B match against Scotland in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 to ensure England’s elimination from the tournament.

England, the reigning champions, find themselves in a precarious position in the current T20 World Cup following a rain-affected match and a significant loss against Australia. With Australia already securing qualification for the Super Eight stage, Paine advocates for the 2021 T20 World Cup winners to manipulate the outcome of their final Group B encounter against Scotland on June 16th.

Tim Paine is advocating for Australia to strategically approach their T20 World Cup 2024 match against Scotland to potentially eliminate England from the tournament. Currently, England finds themselves in fourth place in Group B with one point and a negative net run rate (-1.8). Even if England were to win their remaining matches, they cannot surpass Scotland’s five-point tally and superior net run rate (+2.164).

For England to progress in the tournament, they not only need convincing victories in their remaining games but also rely on Australia to inflict a heavy defeat on Scotland, thereby damaging their net run rate, allowing England to advance to the Super 8s.

Paine clarified that his suggestion does not entail Australia deliberately losing to Scotland but rather ensuring a close contest, which would hinder England’s chances of advancement. He proposed scenarios where Australia could win while keeping the margin tight, thus enabling Scotland to maintain a competitive net run rate.

In a light-hearted manner, Paine joked about Australia sending their key players on holiday for the match against Scotland to give them the best chance of advancing. He suggested fielding substitute players like George Bailey, Andrew McDonald, and Brad Hodge to play against Scotland, potentially allowing them to secure a victory. Paine’s comments were reported by ESPNCricinfo, where he emphasized the importance of strategic play in tournament cricket.

England are a fantastic white ball team if they get it together. If we have control of not having them in there, then, well, see you later.”

Tim Paine said: “Absolutely they should (manipulate the result) and I’m not even joking. I’ve spoken to people about this in the last few days. I’m dead serious. I’m not sure what the net run rate looks like, you don’t have to lose the game, I think they can just let Scotland get close enough. Again, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, Scotland could have a day out.”

But say Scotland batted first and got to 140 and we chased it off 19.5 overs to make sure they don’t suffer a big net run rate loss. I think England have to win both of their games by about 50 runs to even get up towards Scotland’s net run rate. So, it’s certainly plausible that you can win the game (but still ensure England don’t progress).”

Tim Paine said You just have to manipulate the net run rates a little bit

Paine has outlined a potential tactical approach for Australia’s upcoming match against Scotland in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, deeming it a “smart and calculated” maneuver that could prove advantageous for the Australian team in the tournament’s later stages.

The former wicketkeeper-batsman emphasized that his suggestion isn’t solely motivated by England being their prospective opponent but rather stems from strategic foresight aimed at bolstering Australia’s prospects of clinching the coveted title for the second time.

While acknowledging England’s sluggish start in the tournament, Paine highlighted their potential to rebound and defend their T20 World Cup crown. He underscored England’s stature as one of the premier teams in the competition despite their initial setbacks, emphasizing their formidable presence in the knockout rounds.

Paine articulated that by effectively managing net run rates and potentially sidelining England without resorting to intentional defeat, Australia could circumvent a potential semifinal showdown with England, a team boasting numerous match-winners.

Paine remarked, “You’re manipulating the net run rates a little bit… you can say whatever you want to say, but to me, it is smart calculated, tournament play. We’re there to win a World Cup. I wouldn’t want to play England in the semifinal. They’ve got six or seven guys that could take a game away from you, much like Australia do. If you can have a side like that not go through to the next phase, it makes the World Cup easier for you to win.”