3 players Australia can rest vs Scotland in 2024 T20 World Cup clash ft. David Warner
Australia will square off against Scotland in their final Group B encounter at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia on Saturday, June 15. The Kangaroos have already qualified for the Super Eight stage of the tournament owing to their unbeaten run in the group phase.
They will be keen on making it four wins in a row when they clash against a hopeful Scotland side in the encounter on a placid-looking surface.
Most of Australia's stars have performed well in the tournament, and the team management will be hoping for them to continue in the same vein of form.
However, since Scotland are not expected to provide them with too tough a fight, the management may also choose to rest a few players to give others a go.
In this listicle, we take a look at three players Australia can rest in this game.
#1 David Warner
David Warner, who is among the leading run-getters of this tournament with 115 runs in three innings so far, could do with a bit of a rest ahead of the gruelling Super Eight fixtures.
The southpaw has been in fine nick in the tournament and the Kangaroos will be hoping for him to carry his form into the decisive and business end of the tournament.
If Warner is given a break by the management for the game against Scotland, they may choose to bring Josh Inglis into the side and ask him to open the innings.
Inglis will pair alongside Travis Head at the top of the order and will provide fireworks for the world to watch. He will also be expected to provide a platform on which the rest of his team's batters can flourish.
#2 Josh Hazlewood
Seamer Josh Hazlewood has been in the firing line for Australia in the tournament for all the wrong reasons of late. To add to the fact that he has picked up just three wickets in the three games that he has played so far.
Hazlewood was in the limelight recently for having remarked that his team would go easy against Scotland if that would help dent their arch-rivals England's chances of qualifying for the Super Eight stage.
However, Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins rushed to his defense and said that Hazlewood had meant it in jest. Nonetheless, it would be a good time to give the lanky pacer a bit of a break.
Mitchell Starc, who was rested for the game against Namibia on June 11, may be brought back into the side if Hazlewood is asked to rest. Starc will then lead the bowling attack with Cummins and Nathan Ellis.
#3 Tim David
Slogger Tim David, who has been handed the specific role of going after the bowlers from ball one when he walks out to bat lower down the order, has struggled to find form in this tournament.
In the two innings he has played so far, he has scores of just 11 and 9. Although the responsibility of hitting big sixes has been shared by Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis, David has disappointed.
This might be a good time to give him a rest from the side and bring talented all-rounder Cameron Green into it. Green provides his team with the option of handy pace bowling as well.
The latter has not played a single game for the Kangaroos in this tournament, and it will be the right opportunity to see how he is faring. This will also provide Australia with a host of options ahead of the Super Eight stage.