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ICC World Cup 2019 Preview: Australia are arguably the most balanced team in the World Cup

Australia looking good. Someone has to knock them out in the semis of else if they go into the final they might win it again.
 
Glenn Maxwell reckons Australia’s batsmen are looking forward to the challenge of tackling the extreme pace generated by England’s quicks in an “exciting” Lord’s showdown next week and thinks the hosts’ fast show could actually work to the world champions’ advantage.

After despatching the more gentle Bangladesh bowling to all parts of Trent Bridge on Thursday, Maxwell explained that Australia’s in-form stroke makers had already been preparing for next Tuesday’s eagerly-awaited clash with their traditional adversaries by facing an examination in the nets from their own speedsters.

Maxwell, who played perhaps the most marvellous little cameo seen at the ICC Men’s World Cup 2019 with his 10-ball 32, and Marcus Stoinis, who on his return from injury took the crucial wicket of Shakib Al Hasan, both played important parts in the win over Bangladesh but they were quickly pondering a first meeting of the Ashes summer with Eoin Morgan’s “red hot” England team.

Maxwell admitted that there was more excitement for him when bowlers like England’s pace duo of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood were slinging them down.

“I think that sort of pace probably suits our attack a bit more, a bit more pace on the ball, something we’re a bit more used to,” added Maxwell, who had looked on course to record the quickest half-century in World Cup annals at Nottingham when he was run out in a mix-up with Usman Khawaja.

“So I think it’s a challenge we’re up for and we’re certainly getting enough practice in the nets against our bowling attack, that’s for sure,” he added in a reminder that in Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, Australia have their own twin terrors.

Maxwell painted the picture of the champions improving with each outing in their title defence, even if the 48-run win was not flawless.

“I just feel like we’ve been building and building each game, getting better in different areas. I thought against Bangladesh we were just a little bit off at different stages during the game, but that can happen I suppose,” he said.

Lord’s and England would concentrate minds perfectly, though, he felt.

“It’s been a pretty long tournament so far, but we’ve got a few days to refresh now and get ourselves up for England,” said Maxwell. “And what better place to get amped up for the game than at Lord’s. We’re all looking pretty much forward to that now.”

Both he and Stoinis can be the most destructive of batsmen but they have their own concerns about how to contain an England batting line-up that has been in record-breaking form.

“Going to be a good challenge,” said Stoinis. “Hopefully, I can nail some yorkers and bowl a few good slower balls because they’re on fire. We’ll definitely come up with some plans for them.”

What, Stoinis was asked, made him think Australia could turn around their recent wretched ODI record against England

“We’ve won 13 of our last 14 matches (against all opposition) so we’re pretty confident ourselves now. Everyone’s been working towards this World Cup for a long time. Two of the best players in the world (David Warner and Steve Smith) have come back to our side, and we’re playing at the right time for us.”

Maxwell too recognised how Warner’s growing confidence following his second century of the 2019 competition - his 166 was also the biggest innings of the tournament so far - was a real boon for the side.

“Davey was outstanding,” he said. “In the Pakistan game (when Warner got out soon after reaching three figures), I think he would have thought he’d left a few out there, getting out before he’d really seen us to a safe position.

“Yet against Bangladesh, he started his innings pretty similar to what he has done - a bit slow, hitting the field a few times - but, once he’d got past that, he caught up, accelerated, got past 150 and basically left no doubt that we would make a big total.

“It was really pleasing from a team point of view watching Davey go about that. He was able to keep going, accelerate, and really dominate the whole innings.”

What Australia could also do with is a longer spell of Maxwell’s own unique brand of brilliance. “You’re always pretty disappointed to get run out especially when you start like we did,” he said. “It would have been nice to get a few more runs.”
 
Warner situation set to be win-win: Langer

Star batsman set to be available for remainder of Australia's World Cup matches as he awaits birth of third child

Justin Langer is confident the World Cup's leading run-scorer David Warner won't have to miss any games, despite the upcoming birth of his third child.

Warner's pregnant wife Candice has flown over to London and is expected to give birth in the coming weeks while Australia's campaign is ongoing.

Australia are set to remain in London until Sunday, with games against England and New Zealand on Tuesday and Saturday respectively, both at Lord's, before heading to Manchester to face South Africa.

QUICK SINGLE
Buoyant Langer takes criticism in stride
"He won't miss a match," said Langer. "That's why Candice has been over.

"It's worked really well. She's going to be in hospital at the time, so hopefully he doesn't miss a match. But we're all over that.

"I don't like surprises, I wasn't just going to turn up and go, 'oh she might have a baby, we might miss Davey for the semi-final'.

"That's what we try to do, always get win-win situations. We work together and we'll make sure it works out for everyone. Hopefully it will work out okay."

Warner was absent from Australia's optional training session on Sunday, which was held at the swish Merchant Taylors School in London's north with Lord's unavailable due to the Pakistan-South Africa game.

If the opener did have to sit out a game during the tournament, Australia have ready-made replacements.



Warner blasts brilliant 166 against Bangladesh

Current No.3 Usman Khawaja forged a successful partnership with skipper Aaron Finch at the top of the order in the lead-up to the World Cup, while reserve batter Shaun Marsh could slot in at first drop.

Warner skipped an ODI tour of Zimbabwe back in 2014 for the birth of his first daughter Ivy-Mae, while he also missed two one-dayers in 2016 when his second daughter Indi-Rae arrived.

The 32-year-old has been in tremendous form since returning from his 12-month ban, surging to the top of the World Cup's run-scoring charts with 447 at 89.40 including centuries against Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Warner has insisted the excitement of the addition to his family would not distract him from his run-scoring ways.

"With a baby on the way in a couple of weeks, it's exciting for myself and my family," Warner said after his match-winning 166 off 147 balls against Bangladesh on Thursday.

"But my main focus is making sure that my wife is fine and she's comfortable, and obviously the team's perspective as well.

"I won't let that distract me from my goal, and that's to come out here and keep scoring as many runs as I can."


The 32-year-old credited Candice, a former professional ironwoman, and his daughters as his driving force during his year-long suspension from international cricket.

"The thing that kept me going was my wife and my kids," Warner said after posting his first ton back in Australian colours against Pakistan. "I've got great support at home, my family.

"And my wife – she's just my rock. She's unbelievable. She's determined, disciplined, selfless.

"I hold a lot of credit for her. She's a strong woman. And she got me out of bed a lot in those first sort of 12 weeks, and got me back running and training hard as I could.

"It was just (about) maintaining my level of fitness and just hard work. And she really nailed that into me."

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/dav...nt-wife-candice-baby-justin-langer/2019-06-24
 
Q. Does this mean more to the group, being England versus Australia? I imagine in your career, there's games you'll remember, and this will be one of them.
AARON FINCH: I think you always remember World Cup games regardless who it's against. I don't think you can put any more importance on one game over another in terms of your country's rivalries or anything; particularly when there's two points on the line in such a tightly-contested table there.

So it's going to be exciting. It's going to be big, no doubt. But at the end of the day, it's still two points up for grabs regardless of who you're playing.

Q. I'm guessing you haven't had a look at the pitch yet?
AARON FINCH: Haven't seen it.

Q. Can you tell us what you're kind of thinking? You're not going to reveal your 11, I imagine, but what discussions around selection will be or what they have been or what they will be this afternoon?
AARON FINCH: Yeah, it will be based or on when we see the wicket what the conditions will provide. I think we saw yesterday, as the game went on, it started to turn a little bit more than we probably expected it to.

Here, it looked like there was a little bit in it to start with and then it dried out and sort of powdered up and started turning. So that will be a case for discussion, no doubt, which way we go with the quicks.

We've been really flexible with our group the whole way through and that stems from our top order being really flexible with where they bat right the way through specific match-ups with the ball and stuff like that. So that will be the main issues, or the main talking points of selection.

Q. As the World Cup has gone on, or since you've landed in England, have your plans of using the two, Starc with Pat Cummins changed in the sense that you're giving them shorter spurts with the new ball, bringing them back when you need a wicket; like has that changed since you've come here?
AARON FINCH: No, we always knew how important the middle overs will be. I think if you look at all the stats down over the last couple of years of one-day cricket teams that are really successful through their middle overs tend to win a lot more games just based on they are going into the back half of the innings, especially the last 15 overs with six, seven, eight wickets in hand. It's hard to stop no matter who you're playing and no matter what your death bowling options are.

We always knew coming into it that their middle overs will be important and especially Starcy and Pat, just by their aggressiveness with the ball and their wicket-taking ability.

Q. I'm sure you are just focussed on your job and winning the game for your team, but the predicament that England might be if you beat them, big nation, big rival potentially, how mindful are you of their potential predicament if you can knock them off tomorrow in terms of the semi-finals?
AARON FINCH: Well, I think if you look at England's record over the last couple of years, I think I read something the other day that they haven't lost back-to-back ODIs in England for quite some time, and if you look at their trend, they tend to bounce back and go ultra-aggressive, as well.

So we are ready for that. We are expecting them to come out ultra-hard and take the game on, which has been one of their main traits over the last couple of years, in particular.

So yeah, we're focussed more about what we are doing well and what we can improve in our game. But I think as you get further into the tournament, you've seen each team play a lot of games in different conditions, on different surfaces against different oppositions. It just gives you a bit more of an idea of how you expect them to play based on your match-ups.

Q. For some of the guys that are going to be here for four months or so, is there anything being done to try to keep them mentally fresh at the tournament and also the long-term?
AARON FINCH: Yeah, the last few days, and pretty much through our whole tournament, if there's been a couple of training days, one of them has always been optional. Just to make sure that the guys are remaining as fresh as they can, because I know when you're on the road a lot and you tend to be in your hotel room, in a dressing room or out there playing, or who are on a bus travelling up and down the motorway.

I think it's really important that guys -- most guys are experienced enough to listen to their bodies and be able to make that call on when they feel they need to hit a few more balls or put their feet up and not even come to training. I know -- I think Davey was the only one that didn't come to training yesterday. Most guys will have a bit of a run-around on the field today but that's about it. It's been really flexible in that regard, just to make sure guys are getting enough time away from the cricket ground.

Q. No Jason Roy for England. James Vince will play instead. How big a loss do you see that being for England, and can you target James Vince, who as yet has not got a score in this tournament?
AARON FINCH: Yeah, James played really well in the warm-up game against us and got 60-odd down at Southampton. He's proved to be a class top-order player in his own right. So you can never underestimate anyone in any opposition, and we've done our due diligence on him as we have with every other player.

So it would be really naïve to overlook someone of his quality, because you just leave yourself short, and you leave yourself open to making some mistakes there.

Yeah, I think Jason's been a huge part of their planning and a huge part of their success over the last couple of years, as well. He obviously plays a high tempo and high-risk game, which when it comes off is super influential on the game I think.

But like anything, if you rush someone back from a niggle, and we weigh that up all the time when guys have got niggles; that if you push them a bit hard early, they are out for the rest of the tournament. It can be a tough decision to make.

Q. Do you sense the pressure is increasing on England with the injury and defeat to Sri Lanka? Can you take advantage?
AARON FINCH: I think the pressure is increasing on everyone. As soon as you get to the business end of the tournament, we have three great games against three great sides. The pressure is there on each and every individual, but also each and every team. Teams will be pushing for that last couple of spots in the final four, whether you're in there at the moment or you're pushing hard to be that side; I think the pressure is on everyone.

Q. I know you probably are over talking about this, but Jonny Bairstow put a column out suggesting that Australia is hypocritical because after the 2013 Ashes, Stuart Broad was encouraged to be booed, I guess by Darren Lehmann, and now JL has come has come out and said that obviously Australia don't want Steve Smith and David Warner booed. Do you have a view on that?
AARON FINCH: I think whatever the public do, you're not going to change it, whether someone comes out and says do or don't. I think it's just going to happen regardless, anyway. It hasn't affected our boys one bit, I can honestly say that if anything, it's given them a bit more motivation.

As a player, you don't tend to hear a hell of a lot of stuff from the fans. You hear noise at times, but you don't hear specifics. So I'm sure that's the last thing from Steve or Davey's mind when they are walking out to bat; if a handful of people or a whole stadium are booing them, it doesn't make any difference to how hard they watch the ball or how hard they doubt themselves or anything like that. I think it's a bit of white noise to be fair.

Q. Just on that, what did you make of the sort of bromance that came to pass during the IPL between Jonny Bairstow and David Warner and how easy is it to flick the switch back to international cricket when you coming up against guys that you got to know pretty well as a domestic level?
AARON FINCH: I think that's the great thing about domestic tournaments around the world is that you get an opportunity to play with guys you might have had perception on, just from playing against them, about how they play, what kind of bloke they are or something like that.

I think that's opened up everyone's eyes to 99 percent of people that you play with are good blokes, regardless of what tournament it is or who you're playing for. But that's pretty easy to flick back into international mode, no doubt. It's a game representing your country. There's a lot of pride on the line. There's a couple of points in a World Cup, which is so tightly contested.

Yeah, I think a bit like anyone who plays with Davey. They see a side of him and they play against him and they see one when they play with him, and he's a great man. He's someone that obviously Jonny and him have had some run-ins on the ground, too. It's good to see that when you do get an opportunity to get to know somebody, that you take that advantage.

Q. And are these guys feeding into your plans? Say, for example, Jonny Bairstow or Dave Warner have come to you and said I've spotted this about --
AARON FINCH: Absolutely. Everyone is involved in sort of planning meetings and things like that. You get an opportunity to talk, whether it's in a structured meeting or over coffee or dinner or a beer or whatever it might be. I think as cricketers, we're all nuffies at the end of the day for the game; so you're always talking about the game and coming warmup different strategies and things that you've seen over time.

A lot of times, that changes. When a guy has come in as a youngster into international cricket, their game changes dramatically over a period of time, so you always have to be adapting, and that's what's a great thing about these international -- sorry, the domestic T20 comps, is that you get to play with and so many players that you wouldn't have had the access to in the past, that you do get to see more of them.

Q. How closely are you monitoring the Aus-A guys, and specifically, what's been the feedback been of Matthew Wade, not only the last week or so, but the last six months of his career?
AARON FINCH: Yeah, we've been keeping an eye on the score. There's been a bit of chat between JL and Hickey and myself and things like that. It's great to see Wadey come out and smacking them. He's done that for quite a while in domestic cricket now. It's great to see.

They have had a couple of really good wins, the A boys, and quite convincing, as well, so that's really good. I think it's a sign of the strength that we are building over the last couple of years is the depth of Australian cricket is starting to get back to what people call the heyday, the glory years of the early 2000s and times like that when the competition underneath the men's and women's international team was so fiercely competitive; that it's starting to get back to that.

Guys are getting an opportunity, whenever it might be, they are putting their hand up and being counted and making sure they are being in the forefront of selectors' minds when selection comes up.

Q. You've been really good as a captain. You already won the big bash, but what was -- after becoming international captain, was there any moment, where, this is difficult and I need to improve on this? And second, what has been the most satisfying, happy aspect of your captaincy?
AARON FINCH: Oh, there's always things that you can improve on and you look to learn. For me when I first started in leadership roles I was quite young, like in all the junior representative teams and things like that and doing it, I think eight years ago more the Melbourne Renegades, to now, I've changed a lot, just in the way that I used to talk a lot and some feedback from the boys was: "Don't talk so much." So I took that on board.

I don't tend to not talk as much around team meetings or things like that. I try and let everyone else have their own say and just contribute where I need to.

And in terms of most satisfying, I think it's seeing guys come in to an environment and feel really comfortable in the Australian team when they first come in. It can be a daunting place when you come from domestic cricket to the international, especially if it's an international tour. You're away from home and you're away from your comfort zones. So to have guys come in and be really comfortable in and around the team straight away, I think that's a really big positive for myself and the coaching staff and all the other senior players that contribute to a lot of that.

So it's a bit than more wins and losses in a leadership role. It's about making sure that you're making sure that you're creating a great environment for everyone to succeed in.

Q. I take your point about the pressure growing on every team as you get nearer and nearer to the end of the group stage, absolutely right. But looking back at the last 20 or 30 years, Australia in World Cups have dealt with that pressure and gone on to win the World Cup and England fundamentally haven't. That must be a huge help, isn't it? Dealing with the pressure and actually winning World Cups, it's part of your DNA in a way that it just isn't for England.
AARON FINCH: Yeah, I think over the World Cup history, Australia have had that record of peaking at the right time of the tournament.

I think when you look back to the '99 World Cup, Australia were on wood for a lot of that tournament and played their best cricket under real pressure, and the senior players stood up when it was counted, and I think that's a great learning for everyone.

And the fact that we've got six guys in our squad who were part of 2015 World Cup win is really valuable. We've also got Ricky Ponting with us; Brad Haddin with us as coaching staff have won World Cups and multiple World Cups, as well.

Just to be able to share that experience of what you might feel when you walk out into the middle in a knock out game or a high-pressure game, England and Australia at Lord's, it doesn't get much bigger than that. It's going to be a great day. Great spectacle. Great to be a part of.

I think having that experience of guys who can almost share what you might be feeling; so you can almost be prepared for it before you're in that situation I think is invaluable.

Q. Over the past couple of years, obviously England's one-day record against Australia has been very good, something like ten wins out of 11. But you won the warm-up game in Southampton. Do you look at that and say that shows that you've turned a corner, perhaps?
AARON FINCH: I think the warm-up game, there was quite a few of England's probably first choice 11 missing: Joe Root didn't play; Eoin didn't play; Archer didn't play, so I don't think you can say that.

I think that we're going in with a lot of confidence, no doubt. We've been playing some really good cricket and building up to I think where our level is to play really consistent international cricket on the big stage. And I think when you get into a situation where the crunch comes, it's going to be the team that holds their nerve.

I think if you look at every team, you look down the list and you pick out eight or nine match winners in every team, and then you've got guys that are so integral to that part and they make up the 11.

So I look at our side and see a lot of match winners. I look at England, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, West Indies, everyone has match winners and guys who on their day, can blow a game apart. So it's about the team that holds their nerve the longest and under the highest pressure that will succeed, no doubt.
 
Australia inspired by World Cup record - not recent record against England

Aaron Finch claims Australia will be looking to history for inspiration as they plan to hit their peak with the business end of the World Cup approaching.

Australia’s recent record at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is remarkable – having won four of the previous five editions – while the current crop are well-placed to reach the semi-finals with five wins from six games so far.

Next up is a clash at Lord’s against fellow semi-final seekers and hosts England, who have won ten of the last 11 ODIs between the sides.

And with just three group-stage matches remaining, captain Finch wants his men to start hitting their straps, so will be taking advice from those who have been there and done it.

“Over the history of the World Cup, Australia have a great record of peaking at the right time,” he explained.

“In the 1999 World Cup in England, we probably played their best cricket under real pressure and the senior players stood up when it counted. That’s a great learning for everyone.

“The fact we’ve got six guys in the squad who were part of the 2015 World Cup winners is great and then we’ve also got Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin as part of the coaching staff.

“They are guys who have won multiple World Cups as well, so it’s about sharing that experience of what you might feel in a knockout game or a high-pressure match.

“England against Australia at Lord’s, it doesn’t get much bigger than that – it’s always a great day, a great spectacle and great to be a part of.

The Australia team at Lords on June 24, 2019 in London, England.
The Australia team at Lords on June 24, 2019 in London, England.
“Having that experience of guys who can almost share what you might be feeling walking out into the middle before you’re in that situation can be invaluable.”

In addition to the many contests between the sides over the past few years, Australia and England’s players are also familiar with each other thanks to various franchise T20 competitions.

Jonny Bairstow and David Warner struck up an unlikely friendship while opening together for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL this year and Finch claims that new dynamic adds another element to the rivalry between countries.

“The great thing with the domestic leagues around the world is you’re playing with guys that you might have a different perception of when you’re playing against them,” added the skipper.

“It opens everyone eyes that 99 per cent of the people you play with are good blokes.

“Like anyone who plays with Davey [Warner] – they see a side of him when they play against him and they see a different one when they play with him. He’s a great man.

“Jonny [Bairstow] and him have had some run-ins over the years, so it’s good to see that when you get to know somebody, you get to see a nice side.

“It’s pretty easy to flip back into international mode though. This is a game representing your country with a couple of points on the line in a World Cup that is so, so tightly-contested.”
 
Australia looks better than England in this tournament. I won't be surprised it it is going to be India-Australia final this time.
 
No they are going to get smacked in knockouts just like india because apart from starc,cummins their attack is mediocre.
 
“England against Australia at Lord’s, it doesn’t get much bigger than that.”

Australia skipper Aaron Finch said it best in his pre-match press conference, as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 serves up another treat on Tuesday.

From the first-ever Test match, contested at the MCG in 1877, right through until the present day – these two nations have a storied cricketing history.

The latest chapter will be written as the race for the top four heats up and we look at some areas that could prove key in London.

England’s dominance

Australia’s record at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is unmatched – having lifted the trophy on five occasions, including four of the past five editions.

But the recent head-to-head against England makes for far less pretty reading, with Eoin Morgan’s men having won ten of the 11 ODIs between the sides since the start of 2017.

The lone exception was a three-wicket triumph at Adelaide in January 2018, although in a World Cup warm-up match in Southampton, the Australians did prevail by 12 runs in an enthralling contest.

England seem to have their old rivals’ number over the past two years and they will hope to bring that success on to the biggest stage at Lord’s.

Battle of the pacemen

Be it Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Bob Willis or Jimmy Anderson – English and Australian cricket history is replete with legendary fast bowlers.

The current crop are maintaining the tradition with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood all reaching double figures for wickets at this tournament already.

No-one at the World Cup has taken more than Archer or Starc’s 15 apiece and having only made his international debut back in May, Archer could prove to be the X-factor at Lord’s.

He is yet to play against Australia but after watching him during his spell in the Big Bash League, coach Justin Langer claims the group are ready to face the speedster.

"Great athlete isn't he?" Langer said. "We've seen him a lot in the Big Bash, so we know a fair bit about Jofra – he's a brilliant athlete, he bowls fast, moves well, so we'll be on our toes for him as well.

“It's nice to know the opposition and study them well, but at the start we've just got to be really clear what we want to do."

Vince’s time to step up

England’s only injury concern heading into the match is that opening batsman Jason Roy is still absent with a torn hamstring, although the latest scan suggests he could be back soon.

James Vince has filled in for Roy at the top of the order – making 26 against Afghanistan and just 14 in the surprise loss to Sri Lanka last time out – and Vince helping England set a platform could be crucial to success.

Roy has been a thorn in the side of Australia during his ODI career, scoring 759 runs at 47.43 and a strike rate of 114.30, but England skipper Morgan is confident his replacement will step up.

“James Vince is an extremely talented and gifted player – you can see that by watching him,” said Morgan.

“I’m not concerned [that he hasn’t hit many runs]. We have every faith in him to get a score at some stage and it’s important he continues playing in own way.”

Australian top order firing

A lot of talk in the build-up to this World Cup was whether a team would accumulate the first-ever ODI score of 500-plus.

Ultimately, the bowlers have bitten back and England’s 397/6 against Afghanistan remains the highest total but Australia’s top order have certainly done their part with willow in hand.

David Warner, Aaron Finch and Steve Smith are all in the top ten run scorers at the competition, while Warner’s scintillating 166 against Bangladesh last time out is the highest individual score.

If any or all of that trio fire at Lord’s then England’s job becomes increasingly difficult, so taking early wickets and exposing the more untested middle order will be high on Morgan’s priority list.

Laying down some Roots

While Australia’s top order have shone, England’s batsmen have also come to the party – with the highlight being Morgan hitting an ODI record 17 sixes against Afghanistan.
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But the glue holding so many of their innings together to date has been Joe Root, who became the first Englishman to hit three World Cup centuries in his career with an unbeaten 100 against West Indies and currently averages 84.80 in this year’s competition.

His strike rotation and selfless batting make England tick and if Root can be dismissed cheaply, then Australia will fancy their chances of limiting their opponents to a reasonable total.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lots of talk about India all the way or England to win the World Cup at home. But, never write-off the Aussies, they are getting better and better at this World Cup <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvAUS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvAUS</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1143562440950648832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Australia (5 Worldcups) vs Rest of the World (6 Worldcups), What are their chances of making it 6-6?

Australia winning this world cup means they will have 6 out of the 12 cricket worldcups so what are the chances of them winning this WC?

Aussies already qualified for Semi and from current teams i only see India with the ability to stop them but they will probably meet in Final instead of Semi.
 
Big tournament team.

Big names performing well match after match.

Key players in form.
 
Mitchell Starc was thrilled that Australia were the first team to book their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2019 following their victory over England at Lord’s.

Despite already having qualified for the semi-finals – Starc says there will be no let up from Australia as they take on New Zealand and South Africa in their final two group games.

He said: “There’s a lot of cricket to come before semi-final time. We’ve got two really important games but playing here at Lord’s where the final’s going to be has given us confidence,” he said.

“We’ve got another game here against New Zealand, which is going to be tough. They’re playing some fantastic cricket and they’ve really gone under the radar. Nobody’s really spoken too much about them and they keep winning games.

“So they’ve got a really strong side, Kane Williamson is their lynchpin in the middle and they have have bowlers who swing the ball, so it’s another big game but we’ve cemented our spot in the semis and we want to try and finish as high as we can building towards the final series of matches.”

Starc was happy to share the bowling laurels with his more unsung fellow left-armer, Jason Behrendorff, who took a five-for in only his second World Cup match.

“Dorff bowled awesome, beautifully, and deserved his five wickets - and it’s great to see him do so well here at Lord’s against England. I’ve bowled a fair bit with Mitchell Johnson in the past and this showed again today that there’s no reason why you can’t play two left armers when the pitch and match-ups suit.

“Dorff actually asked me if there was anything of note about the wicket here and, to be honest, I didn’t have much for him as I haven’t been here for about four years.”

They key to the victory, felt Starc, was the way the Australian bowlers got their lengths right in the England innings. “After watching them, as a bowling group we all wanted to bowl a bit fuller and make them drive the ball, and I think we did that really well. It

was a positive for us to bowl them out and win the game fairly strongly.”

With typical modesty, he was not making a big deal of the key delivery, a reverse swing yorker, that skittled Ben Stokes just as England’s dangerous all-rounder looked particularly threatening.

“He’s a fantastic player, one of their key batters. He nearly got them home against Sri Lanka and so we knew while he was batting that we couldn’t rest up. Fortunately, I got one through the gate,” shrugged Starc.

Some were hailing it as the delivery of the tournament so far, but Starc insisted: “I’ve got a pretty simple one-day plan and for me its all about execution.

“To execute that ball exactly how I wanted and for it to result the way it did was pleasing for me - but it was pleasing to contribute to the whole group.”

Start also laughed off an incident at breakfast in his team hotel when a supporter ‘sledged’ him while he was going to eat his three poached eggs.

“Some bloke in a suit was having a go about my strapping tape on my elbow and about me eating too much and how it was going to affect my bowling!” smiled Starc.

“He had a bit of a click at me - all good fun. I was still half-asleep, didn’t think much of it. It’s all been good fun around the tour, it’s all part and parcel of a World Cup!”
 
Jason Behrendorff is confident he and Mitchell Starc can continue to make a formidable left-arm tandem moving forward after they tore through England to book Australia’s place in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup semi-finals.

Behrendorff was brought into the side for just his eighth ODI due to England’s historic struggles against left-arm pacemen and that decision proved a masterstroke at Lord’s.

The 29-year-old took his maiden international five-for thanks to figures of 5/44, while Starc ended with 4/43 as England were skittled for 221 in pursuit of 286 – a 64-run defeat.

And although this was just the second ODI in which they have appeared together, Behrendorff is now keen to continue his burgeoning new-ball combination with Starc.

“We don't often see it but I don't see why we can't play together,” he said. “Sometimes you play three right-armers, so why can't we play two lefties?

“Mitch and I have different roles throughout the team, so it's really good that we could partner together. It's something we thought was going to work well against England and then we picked up nine wickets between the two of us, so it potentially worked quite well!

“Mitch and I are really happy to be able to play on the same team together and to have two lefties, hopefully we could see more of it. That would be great.

“One of those things you dream of as a kid is to play cricket for Australia and then to come here and play at Lord's for the first time was something special.

“You don't play cricket for the accolades but to play at Lord's and to take five wickets was really special.”

Victory means Australia are the first side to rubber-stamp their place in the knockout stages, with six wins from seven.

England’s hopes though are on a knife-edge with must win games to come against India and New Zealand after they suffered their first back-to-back ODI defeat on home soil in four years.

Even though their semi-final place is secure Behrendorff is eager to keep building momentum in the remaining group-stage fixtures and also doesn’t believe Australia should be considered favourites to lift the trophy.

“I don't think we’re the team to beat,” he added, ahead of concluding group stage matches with New Zealand and South Africa. “The competition is still very open.

“England are still a great side and they are probably still favourites, with it being in their home country.

“We aspire to continue just playing good cricket but I don't think we're favourites, that's for sure.

“Momentum is a huge thing in tournament play and we've got two big games coming up now, so ideally another couple of wins there and then we can really head into the semi-finals with some great momentum.”
 
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Steve Waugh: Complete performance underlines Australia’s World Cup claims

Without doubt this was a commanding performance by a team that is gathering confidence and momentum at exactly the right time.

Australia played an old fashioned ODI game based around a solid platform with the bat from the rock-solid Aaron Finch and David Warner, allowing the rest of the order to capitalise and construct a challenging total on a pitch that more represented a Test match than a one-day game.

Coming against a quality attack on the biggest stage in world cricket, Finch’s century was his best in the green and gold.

He is at the top of his game right now; mentally tough, technically sound, focussed and trusting in his judgement of line and length. He is leading the charge and allowing others the freedom to relax and play their own way.

Together with Warner, they continue to ensure Australia is ultra-competitive in every match by either posting an imposing total or chasing down any target.

Another to impress has been Alex Carey who is a hybrid of Michael Hussey and Michael Bevan. Carey plays with the perfect mixture of calmness and intent, assessing the situation and pouncing on any opportunities that present themselves in the frenetic pressure of the final overs.

He shapes as a potential match-winner for Australia in the back end of the competition.

The Australian selectors must be congratulated for the bold selection of Jason Behrendorff and the faith they showed in presenting him with the new ball.

It had an immediate impact, with Behrendorff producing one of the deliveries of the tournament - an unplayable late in swinger that sent a bewildered James Vince back to the pavilion and destabilised England’s chase.

His five-wicket hall was not only significant for its impact on the match, but his ability to swing it in conjunction with Mitchell Starc will have put all future batsman on notice that their techniques will be forensically examined.

England will feel deflated by their underwhelming effort in a match where they had a chance to flex their muscle and show why they were the pre-tournament favourites.

Perhaps this loss will focus them as they now have no choice but to win all remaining matches much in the same way we did back in the 1999 World Cup.

They are capable but they must locate the intensity and free-spirited style that has defined their cricket of recent times.

It was a match that showcased skill and composure over brute strength and power largely because of a pitch that was fair to both bat and ball.

It was a genuine contest won by a team that knows its game plan and believes it can go all the way.

England must now respond or face elimination.


© ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2019. All rights reserved
 
Australia’s buoyant crew ‘love working under Finchy’

To get a feel for the esteem in which Australia’s captain Aaron Finch is currently held by his buoyant team and for the esprit de corps that he’s helped engender among them, you only have to listen to the effusive tribute of their bright young wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey.

“I think his performances leading from the front have been amazing and then with his decisions out in the field, he’s got a group of guys who really trust him. We love working under Finchy,” enthused Carey, after the captain’s hundred laid the foundations for the triumph over England that sealed Australia’s semi-final place in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2019 on Tuesday.

“Performance is pretty good leadership - and, firstly, he’s performing from the front and it’s great to see him have some real success. He’s worked really hard on his game and now he’s delivering on the biggest stage.”

He certainly is. Regularly. Those early-year struggles, when Finch was down on confidence and heart and wondered if he’d even make the World Cup squad he was earmarked to captain, could not have felt more distant as his Lord’s hundred, the seventh he’s taken off England in an ODI, told of a man scaling a new peak in his game.

For since his rejuvenating series against Pakistan in March, Finch has now scored 947 runs at an average of 86.09 with four hundreds, backing up Carey’s observations about a man ‘leading from the front.’

What’s more, the skipper’s glut of runs at the tournament - 496 - have come alongside fellow opener David Warner’s 500 as the two most prolific scorers in this year’s competition have been averaging 91 for their first-wicket stands.

It’s these wonderfully reliable platforms that the pair have given Australia throughout the tournament that makes Carey believe it’s been the key to the champions’ fine defence of their title.

“The guys at the top of the order are playing fantastically and giving us the opportunity to have some wickets in the shed to set us up and hopefully finish off an innings well,” said the South Australian.

“Although it would have been nice to finish off the innings better and not lose those quick wickets (against England), the quality that Warner and Finch are delivering for us is allowing us just to take the innings that bit deeper, allowing Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith to go in and be able to occupy.”

Then, he noted, the destructive likes of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis also had more licence to thrill. Not to mention Carey himself, who’s proved a pretty handy ‘finisher’ at the World Cup, having racked up 173 runs at an average of 57.66 and a healthy strike rate of 116.10. On Tuesday, his unbeaten 38 from 27 balls was another impressive cameo.

“I’m loving batting at the moment, trying to keep it really simple, and then just having the opportunity to bat the last 10 overs when the field’s out,” said the 27-year-old.

“I think we’ve done that pretty well throughout, even against Bangladesh when there was talk that maybe we were a bit slow up the front. If you’ve got wickets in the shed, you can do real damage. We trust the guys to get through the first 10 overs with as minimal damage as possible and then hopefully we back-end it with Maxi, who can do some damage with 15 overs to go, and Stoini as well. But it’s working at the moment.”

The other key to the champions now beginning to look ominously impressive? “I think we’ve got some really experienced players, guys who are standing up in big moments,” said Carey.

On Tuesday, it was not just Finch but also Mitchell Starc, with his four wickets, who fitted that particular bill. Australia will take some stopping as their form improves by the match.
 
Australia has to be a bit more flexible with their batting order. They get too carried away with the left-right combination. Steven Smith has to bat at 3. That's where he's best at and scored majority of his runs.

If a wicket falls around over 30, get in Glenn Maxwell. But against England, they sent in Khawaja at 3 & around over 30, they sent Smith to bat at 4.

If a wicket falls around over 40, get in Alex Carey. He's been really good in the last 10 overs. But against England, they sent Stoinis ahead of him around over 40.
 
My staring XI:

1. David Warner
2. Aaron Finch (C)
3. Steven Smith
4. Usman Khawaja
5. Glenn Maxwell (If a wicket falls around over 30, get him in)
6. Marcus Stoinis
7. Alex Carey (WK) (If a wicket falls around over 40, get him in)
8. Pattrick Cummins
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Jason Behrendorff
 
28 June - Lord's - Australia captain Aaron Finch pre-match press conference

Q. 33 degrees tomorrow. How does that impact the game and if you win the toss, will that have an impact on what you do?

AARON FINCH: No, not at all. We're obviously used to playing in very hot conditions. So that won't have any impact on what we do first or anything else that goes with the day.

Q. Will it be better for the spinners do you think?

AARON FINCH: Hasn't been a day/night game here yet. That's why we're training tonight, as well, just to get as much information as we can about tomorrow. If there's going to be any dew or any kind of assistance in the wicket, things like that, we'll weigh all that stuff up tonight after we get a bit more info.

Q. Your team's looking good. You're on fire and you're the favourites to win this whole damn thing, so what do you think about that kind of pressure and what would it mean for Australian cricket to win the World Cup this year, given the ball tampering scandal?

AARON FINCH: Oh, I think that any time you have pressure on you, it's because the expectations high, because of what you have done in the recent history.

So you can never shy away from that, and you can look at it either way. You can look at it as a burden, and only you can stuff it up, but I think at the end of the day, when you're talking about favoritism and things like that, you also have to appreciate the amount of work that goes in behind the scenes from the coaches and everyone to get to that position, and whether it's us, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, I think the expectation for everyone is all the same; that you turn up and that you can win the World Cup.

So if it did happen, it would be a huge achievement for the country.

Q. In reference to something you said during the week about the use of data and side to side, you explained that's what governed why Jason came into the team against England, and it obviously went really well. Would it be fair to depict it as the same reasons that you picked Jason against England, due to the data, would be similar reasons why you couldn't leave him out against New Zealand and it would be no hard feelings in that people sort of accept inside the squad that there are match-ups and that you'll play when you're suited and you won't play when you're not suited?

AARON FINCH: Yeah, absolutely, and we've been really open and clear with that with the players from the start; the expectation of everyone being as flexible as they possibly can be. That comes from the batting order to selection. There's times when you still have to go with a gut feel on a particular play or on a certain surface.

So you can read a lot into the numbers, but at the end of the day, there's also a lot of experience in our group with the coaching staff, some senior players that will talk about teams and things like that. So there's a lot of experience that sometimes the numbers don't quite add up to what everyone's thinking, as well. So then you have to take some calculated risks and a bit of a punt at times on selection on how you use guys with the ball, in particular, and structuring up sometimes with the bat.

But I think flexibility is the key, and everyone's been on board with that. There's been no whinging or anything like that when someone's been left out for a specific reason. I think that's a sign of a really solid group; that you can -- you understand that 11, or 15 doesn't go into 11, so there's always a couple of really tough calls each game.

Q. The last time you guys played the Kiwis in a pressure-cooker situation was probably the World Cup final and New Zealand crumbled in that situation. They have got a bit of pressure on them again this week, need to go win one of these last two games to make the semifinals. Do you see that as a weakness of the Black Caps' side, and something that you can exploit?

AARON FINCH: Oh, I wouldn't say it's a weakness. I think it's a funny thing about knockout games and finals and things like that, is that all it takes is one or two balls or something to change the momentum of the game. Doesn't mean you had a stinker on the day. Doesn't mean that you're out-classed or anything like that. Just turns, makes it somebody else beats you.

I think if you get beaten on the day, you can wear that; if you fall a bit short here and there, you can wear being beaten by a better opposition or who out-classed you or out-skill you on the day.

But I think the great thing with New Zealand is that they fight and scrap every single game, regardless of whether it's a World Cup final or it's a club game. That's a part of how they play their best cricket, and I know under Kane they certainly do fight and scrap for every run on the field. They are a great fielding side. They put pressure on you. They have got world-class players. It's going to be a good game tomorrow, no doubt.

Q. Jonny Bairstow has claimed that the media in this country are just waiting for England to fail. I don't know how much TV you watch during your time in England or how many papers you read, but is that your feeling of the English media; that they are just waiting for England to trip up, or do you perhaps experience that in the Australian media?

AARON FINCH: I haven't seen anything written. I've watched a TV, a bit of SKY News and things like that that you see some stuff. But in terms of papers, we don't have them around our team room. We don't have them around the dressing room. We have made a conscious effort of that over the tournament, and that was basically on the back of coming over here. We knew that there would be some stuff written and there would be some opinions had when we first landed in the country.

So we just wanted to take as much white noise as we could away from our focus. It is quite hard to comment on it because I honestly haven't seen much of it.

Q. I guess in the wake of what happened in Cape Town last year, all nations have reassessed how they have gone about playing on the field in the terms of their demeanor and the like. Do you feel this World Cup has been played in perhaps a better spirit than perhaps had that incident not happened and nations hadn't reassessed?

AARON FINCH: I think it has been a great spirit out on the field, regardless of results. You see a lot of smiles on people's faces, which is a good sign that the game's in really good hands at the moment, and that it is being played in the right spirit.

I think that -- I'm not sure if it's been a conscious effort from individual countries, but it certainly felt -- it's felt like a really, really good tournament.

Tough to compare different times. I know the last one was quite an aggressive World Cup on the field, mainly from us. We were quite aggressive in our approach and how we went about things.

But it's been great. This one has been absolutely brilliant, and I think what's been really pleasing as well, you look around the stands, regardless of who is playing. In the past, if the home team is not playing, there could be some really empty stands, but this has been unbelievable. They have been packed out venues and really quality cricket, so people are definitely getting their value for money, too.

Q. How strong of a temptation is there to give Mitch Starch or Pat Cummins a rest of the next couple games with the semifinals spot locked up?

AARON FINCH: Quite minimal to be honest. They are both feeling really good at the moment.

So if it was going to happen at all, yeah, slightly tempting, but at the same time, you don't want to tempt fate. You don't want to upset the apple cart just for no reason, really. And that also comes down to how they are feeling, as well, and they are both feeling great at the moment.

I know that they have got no interest whatsoever in being rested or anything like that. And as a coaching staff and management of the players, everyone's really on the same page in that regard to keep -- to try and keep our winning momentum and making sure that we are never taking anything for granted in this tournament.

Q. You say you don't want to take anything for granted, but also, players are always very keen to play by and large. So how do you strike that balance, because presumably you want to be resting people before there's an injury issue if you can.

AARON FINCH: Yeah, absolutely.

Q. And you have got that opportunity now, given you've already qualified.

AARON FINCH: Yeah, absolutely. But also, the guys are in really good form, as well, so you don't want to tempt that. I mean, we have got a week between our next game. So we play Saturday, and then we play South Africa the following Saturday.

So that was a part of the reason we don't want to rest anyone, as well, because we feel as though that week will be a really good opportunity for the bowlers to really freshen up and de-loading them three or four days after this match to manage them through the next part of the tournament, and obviously with a huge summer coming up here with the Ashes and all going forward.

So that was also -- our scheduling has been quite good in that regard in that we had a really busy period sort of right at the start. Now it's four days between games, and then a week between games. So the guys will still get a lot of time to freshen up in that time.

Q. Another bigger picture thing. What you made of the format of this World Cup as you get towards the finals? Obviously there are no groups. Every country plays each other once. Have you liked that? Has it gone on too long?

AARON FINCH: No, I really like it personally. And this is only a personal opinion. I think compared to the last World Cup, when you're in groups, you can sort of dodge teams. For example, we didn't play South Africa in the last World Cup, and they are such a great side, or they were a great side in that World Cup; they were so dangerous and unlucky not to make the final, but we didn't have to play them at any point in the competition.

I really like the idea of having everyone play each other. It would be nice to get some more teams in there but then I think you're looking at a tournament that goes probably a bit too long. I personally think the balance is really good at the moment.

Q. Going back to another thing Jonny said the other day, Jonny Bairstow, he said that pitches for this World Cup have been different from the last few years. Going back to 2015 World Cup, do you feel like you guys had an advantage on the pitches you played on? Should the home team get an advantage?

AARON FINCH: I think, I'm not sure how they go about the preparation in terms of the ICC, what they have, what protocols they have with pitches and curators and what people see in that process. I'm not entirely sure.

I think in the last World Cup, I think it was all, bar a couple of matches in New Zealand, and we had one wash-out, but the sun was shining; so there was no real change in the wickets.

I think over here, having a really wet first couple of weeks of the tournament probably set some curators back in terms of what their ideal preparation would have been.

But they have still been good, entertaining wickets. You can look at it two ways. People want 400, and they see that as an entertaining game and teams getting close. I personally think the games that are 220, 240 that are real arm wrestles that have more momentum shifts back and forth are more entertaining.

I think from an overall point of view, they might be slightly different to what they have been used to, but I think this that's dictated by the weather, as well.

Q. You've predominately been on the road since the Big Bash final. Can you give us a window into how tough is life, away for so long, the sacrifices made, when the family period starts, how do you stay pressure and all the challenges that go with so much travel?

AARON FINCH: Yeah, it can be tough at times. My wife's travelled with me a fair bit lately. She's over here for a couple of months while I stay on and play for Surrey, as well.

It can be tough. It's important that when you get days off, you really get away from the game and freshen up. For me, that's, before my wife got here, it was about getting out and playing golf. Now it's more like shopping and things like that (laughter) but yeah, mini-golf the other day, that's the closets I've got to the course since she's been here -- sorry, darling (smiling) I'll cut that later (laughter).

But it's about getting away from the game and make sure you're refreshing as much as you can. Whatever, for some guys, that's totally different ends of the spectrum. But I think overall, that's good to be as a group for as long as we are, but also, just making sure that if there's half a day, that you take that for yourself and really make sure that you are doing everything that you can to clear your mind.

For me, that's cafes and golf. For Usman, that's shopping. He loves his shopping and things like that. A few of us play golf. Steve Smith, still walking around his room with a cricket bat in his hand (Laughter). It's just totally different for everyone, but just mentally refreshing every chance you get is so important.
 
Australia won’t take their foot off the gas despite already booking their place in the semi-finals

Qualification is no longer an issue for Australia but captain Aaron Finch insists his fast bowlers are itching to keep their foot on the gas ahead of the semi-finals.

Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are among the quicks to have played every one of their side’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup matches, with seven games in 25 days under their belts so far.

But any desire to put their feet up for Saturday’s showcase with New Zealand at Lord’s couldn’t be further from reality.

Instead Finch and his strike bowlers are going all out in a repeat of the 2015 World Cup final, knowing just how vital it is to get another win under the belts as knockout cricket rapidly approaching.

“They are both feeling really good at the moment,” said Finch of Cummins and Starc.

“You don't want to upset the apple cart just for no reason, really. And that also comes down to how they are feeling, as well, and they are both feeling great at the moment.

“I know that they have got no interest whatsoever in being rested or anything like that.

“As a coaching staff and management of the players, everyone's really on the same page in that regard to keep we want to try and keep our winning momentum and making sure that we are never taking anything for granted in this tournament.

“The guys are in really good form, as well, so you don't want to tempt that. We have a week between the next games which is nice as well.”

Australia and New Zealand are no strangers to humdingers in the World Cup, with the two sides winning a classic each when they faced off on home territory four years ago.

Historic rivalry is therefore up for grabs but with New Zealand just one win away from joining their neighbours in the semi-finals, there’s plenty at stake for both sides as Lord’s gets set to hit temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.

And with New Zealand losing just one game so far this tournament, to Pakistan last time out, it’s far from going to be a walk in the park for Finch and his side.

Not that the Australian captain would have it any other way when facing doing battle with Kane Williamson.

“I think the great thing with New Zealand is that they fight and scrap every single game, regardless of whether it's a World Cup final or it's a club game,” he added.

“That's a part of how they play their best cricket, and I know under Kane they certainly do fight and scrap for every run on the field.

“They are a great fielding side. They put pressure on you. They have got world-class players. It's going to be a good game, no doubt.

“I think if you get beaten on the day, you can wear that; if you fall a bit short here and there, you can wear being beaten by a better opposition or who out-classed you or out-skill you on the day.”
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Aaron Finch "there's been a great spirit out on the field. Regardless of results you see a lot of smiles on people's faces which is a good sign that the game is in really good hands at the moment" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a> <a href="https://t.co/g2V6LalZND">pic.twitter.com/g2V6LalZND</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1144727475911581698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Aaron Finch "Before my wife got here I was out playing golf, now it's more like shopping & things like that. It's important you take time for yourself, for me that's cafes & golf, for Usman it's shopping, for Steve Smith it's walking around his room with a bat in his hand" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a> <a href="https://t.co/krOnYRqWqx">pic.twitter.com/krOnYRqWqx</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1144864379432820737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Aaron Finch "I really like this format and that everyone has to play each other" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cwc19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cwc19</a> <a href="https://t.co/NxeZd5lFss">pic.twitter.com/NxeZd5lFss</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1144886822264344577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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MenInG said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Aaron Finch "Before my wife got here I was out playing golf, now it's more like shopping & things like that. It's important you take time for yourself, for me that's cafes & golf, for Usman it's shopping, for Steve Smith it's walking around his room with a bat in his hand" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a> <a href="https://t.co/krOnYRqWqx">pic.twitter.com/krOnYRqWqx</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1144864379432820737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Steve Smith is an absolute legend of the game along with Kohli in this generation. Kane n Root are slightly below them.
 
It is Australia's cup to lose

Same old familiar world cup winning pattern is getting formed. Inform batsmen. Couple of miserly bowlers upfront one is wicket taking. A world class spinner in the mix. Most importantly a gun GO TO bowler in the line up. Throw in the familiar script of some random guy stepping up after a collapse (Coulter Nile, Alex Carey). These are some of the familiar ingredients we have been used to seeing in every world cup that Australia won. Their fielding standard will go up several notch in crunch games. Not a jinx thread. Just pattern recognition. We know what they need to win a world cup. They got almost all of them.
 
Their batting looks shaky. I think good teams can get them out cheaply while chasing.
 
Dingolfy said:
Their batting looks shaky. I think good teams can get them out cheaply while chasing.
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That is the thing. They just don't fold like a cheap suit. Someone steps up and gets them to a defendable score. This is all too familiar.
 
jnaveen1980 said:
That is the thing. They just don't fold like a cheap suit. Someone steps up and gets them to a defendable score. This is all too familiar.
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They have only chased once and lost it. Khwaja is playing like Dhoni wasting up too many deliveries and Maxwell is their version of Afridi. I think any good bowling team can get them while chasing.
 
Dingolfy said:
They have only chased once and lost it. Khwaja is playing like Dhoni wasting up too many deliveries and Maxwell is their version of Afridi. I think any good bowling team can get them while chasing.
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But they almost hunted our total down even with Carey. Warner, Smith, Finch all 3 are world class. They don't even have to play Khawaja. They could play Marsh, Maxie, Carey, Stoinis.
 
Australian perfection has yet to be achieved in the eyes of Mitchell Starc despite guiding his side to a seventh win at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Starc’s record-breaking third career World Cup five-wicket haul proved characteristically destructive as Australia bowled New Zealand out for 157, securing victory by 86 runs at Lord’s.

Imposing it may have been but when it comes to putting together a faultless game, the left-armer believes his side still has some way to go.

Just once have Australia tasted defeat this tournament when losing out to India at the Oval, so it’s ominous when Starc says the best is yet to come.

“We've always spoken about peaking towards the back end of the tournament, and we're still searching for that perfect performance,” he said.

“We're not quite there yet. We're showing glimpses of what we are capable of with the ball and with the bat and in the field, but we have still got room to improve, and that's exciting for this group.

“We've got to play our best game in the semi now and hopefully better that in the final, and that's what tournament play is all about.

“If we keep continuing to improve every game, whether we play New Zealand or India or anyone, we're going to have to plan really well and then execute on the day.

“It’s a great result beating New Zealand, but one win is not going to win you the World Cup.”

Just five players now boast more than Starc’s haul of 46 World Cup wickets, with none coming close to the mesmeric 12.97 average he boasts with the ball.

But the 2015 Player of the Tournament insists it’s wins more than personal records that dominate his motivation having lifted the trophy four years ago.

But with performances such as his 5/26 against the Black Caps, the best bowling figures of the tournament so far, the 29-year-old will not be a passenger in his bid to repeat the feat.

But he was far from a lone wolf in pulling off the victory, with half-centuries from Alex Carey and Usman Khawaja – after a rare failure from the openers – helping Australia to 243/9, batting first on a wicket that wasn’t easy to negotiate.

“Records don’t mean much if we don't win the World Cup,” added Starc. “I’m just stoked to be playing a part in this group and continue to contribute.

“A big part of our victories is our calmness and I think that's probably led by Finchie [captain Aaron Finch]. He's been fantastic as a captain.

“I think there's a real sense of calmness around the whole group, not just from the bowlers but from Finchie to all the fielders.

“Even when things are not quite happening for us, it's still very calm. We still know what we want to do. It goes back to the execution.

“It's that clearness as a whole group out on the field is what's probably instilling that confidence in the bowler to execute what they want to do.”

ICC Media Release
 
Paceman Jason Behrendorff paid tribute to his side’s team spirit after Australia’s comprehensive 86-run victory over New Zealand at Lord’s.

Left-armer Behrendorff picked up the wickets of openers Henry Nicholls and Martin Guptill as the Black Caps’ pursuit of 244 never got off the ground.

The 29-year-old’s figures of 2/31 followed up his match-winning haul of 5/44 on the same ground last week as Australia stunned the hosts England.

And Behrendorff admits that the opportunity to return to Lord’s in a fortnight for the final would be “huge” for him and his side, who were beaten 5-0 in a bilateral series in England only a year ago.

He admitted: “We’ve turned it round quite well with the performances we’ve had over the last six months.

“Winning the home series against India was a good start then to beat India in India was unreal. Then we beat Pakistan 5-0 and you can’t ask for much more than that.

“The consistency has been good. One of the key things is that we’re playing cricket for each which is something that might have been lacking in the past.

“It’s hard when the team chops and changes but we’ve had some continuity within the group for a while now.

“You see that with a lot of the good teams over a long period – their line-up doesn’t change that much and they gel really well.”

Behrendorff, who has played only nine ODIs, came back into the side following Australia’s defeat to India at The Oval and his performances have been outstanding.

He is just revelling in the whole experience of playing in an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and modestly does not believe that has “nailed” a spot in the team. “I’m just happy to be contributing,” he said.

He added: “It’s unreal. I’m pretty happy to be opening the bowling and to do it with Starcy [Mitchell Starc] is special. It’s great to have two left-armers doing it up front.

“We’ve been fortunate to start off pretty well in the last couple of games. Everyone has been quite versatile and people are required to play different roles as the tournament progresses.

“I feel like we’re reading the conditions pretty well at the moment and planning accordingly. We tied them down and created a lot of pressure.”

Lord’s, its famous slope, can be a tough venue for inexperienced players to perform but Behrendorff has taken to it instantly.

He said: “I can’t do much more than that! I started to enjoy bowling form the Pavilion End a bit more today and the breeze from that end helped me.”

ICC Media Release
 
Allan Border: Australia look like a real threat at this World Cup at just the right time

After a gentle start, Australia now look the real deal and the win against New Zealand has brought back that old familiar feeling that often leads to a World Cup trophy.

This was a very impressive win because they did it the hard way. In this tournament, they have relied on Aaron Finch, David Warner and Steve Smith at the top of the order to get runs but all of a sudden, they had to dig deep - and to come through that is a very good sign.

I did not think Usman Khawaja was very fluent but he did well to hang in there for his 88 and New Zealand will feel frustrated that they had a couple of missed opportunities. Their fielding was not perfect, even though Martin Guptill took a stormer to get rid of Smith.

We have seen some amazing catches in this tournament but that is out of the top drawer. At that stage it looked grim but step forward Alex Carey. He looked like he was batting on a different surface to everyone else out there.

He struck the ball beautifully on both sides of the wicket and hit some nice cover drives, which we did not see much of from anyone else. He is without doubt my man of the match because, without him, Australia would not have got 150.

He has turned a few heads in this tournament with his reliable performances. There were a lot of doubts before, critics asking if he was truly our best option. Should we have gone for Matty Wade or Tim Paine? But he has grown in confidence and it has been nice to watch. Today, it looked like he was batting on a belter whereas the likes of Finch, Warner and Smith all struggled.

New Zealand must be amazed. It cannot be often that you get a hat-trick, see Smith, Finch and Warner in the shed cheaply and take a catch like Guptill did and still be on the wrong end of the result. That says a lot about Australia right now.

Australia’s score was below par but with the pitch drying out, I thought we were in for a thriller. But Mitchell Starc then did his usual thing and finished with a five-fer.

He had a break from the game with back injuries and different ailments before the tournament but he has got a fantastic rhythm going here and is clocking some serious pace, comfortably over 90mph, which is why he is miles ahead of the rest in the leading wicket taker column.

You would have to pick him in your all-time Australia ODI side because of what he does in the big games. There are lots of other options out there but in the big games, he stands up. He has come to the boil at the perfect time and Australia now look a strong contender to win it, which is unbelievable when you look at how they were struggling six months ago.

And that is before the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis have really caught fire in the middle order. They are the sort who could go bananas and win a final on their own.

I am really confident with where this team is at. India and England demand massive respect too and you can never count your chickens - but that old familiar feeling is definitely back.

© ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2019. All rights reserved
 
The Test match approach is working wonders for Nathan Lyon after helping spin Australia to their seventh victory of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The off-spinner has had to bide his time in England with selection against New Zealand just his second game of the tournament, figures of 1/36 seeing him concede just two boundaries at Lord’s.

Destructive it may not have been in Australia’s overall performance – bowling New Zealand out for 156 – it proved nearly priceless.

Lyon bowled 17 dot balls in his first five overs and that style of five-day cricket control ultimately proved a handful, leaving the likes of five-wicket star Mitchell Starc to run through the Black Caps batting unit.

“There’s a lot of belief in the squad, you’ve got some world-class bowlers and we’ve always tried bowling in partnerships, whether that’s Test or one-day cricket,” he said.

“If you could build pressure from both ends it gives us great belief, but we know there’s lots to build on too.

“I know where my place and role is in ODI cricket, I’m happy with the way the ball is coming out but saying that I know there is still room for improvement.

“I don’t have a bat-pad or leg slip the whole time, but it’s a mindset thing – we’re working together in partnerships and when you have those type of guys in there, it’s about using them well.”

Just one defeat in eight matches this tournament has taken Australia to the top of the standings with a solitary group match remaining.

Yet the feeling around the camp is that more is to come from the defending champions, particularly when it comes to building for the semi-finals.

The perfect combination is yet to be found with ball in hand in particular, though it was those who had yet to shine with the bat so far this World Cup that made victory possible.

Alex Carey and Usman Khawaja both made half-centuries as Australia fought their way to 243/9, with openers Aaron Finch and David Warner uncharacteristically falling short in the first ten overs.

“It was a very impressive win there but to be honest there’s a lot of work we still need to keep improving on, we’re still searching for that perfect performance,” added Lyon.

“The way Alex has been hitting the ball throughout the whole tournament has been really impressive.

“We were 92/5 but they fought their backsides off and gives our whole batting line-up confidence, we missed out up top but the two were absolutely exceptional.

“We’re still looking for that performance and we know there’s some work to be done, we’ll have a rest for a couple of days then hit training hard against a big game in South Africa.”



ICC Media Release
 
Langer praise Australia’s unsung heroes Maxwell and Stoinis ahead of final group game

Australia coach Justin Langer believes the contributions of all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis can’t be underestimated as they gear up for the knockouts.

Australia face their final group-stage match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 against South Africa at Old Trafford on Saturday, where victory would guarantee top spot in the table and a semi-final at the same venue against the fourth-placed side – either New Zealand or Pakistan.

During Australia’s seven wins from eight games so far, Maxwell has shown glimpses of his destructive batting – most notably with an unbeaten 46 against Sri Lanka – although he has only averaged 23.83.

His career ODI strike rate of 124.20 is the second-best in history for players with more than 15 ODI innings, trailing only Andre Russell’s 130.22, and it’s that game-changing ability that means Langer is confident the 30-year-old could yet play a pivotal role.

“We love what Maxy brings to crease,” said the coach. “He’s not got the runs at this World Cup but he brings energy in every contest. That’s with his fielding, his bowling and in the changing room.

“But something that really distinguishes Maxy from everyone else is his incredible strike rate.

“He averages 30 [32.67 in ODIs] compared to Virat Kohli averaging 60 [59.52] and Virat is obviously a great player but Maxy brings a strike rate which is something different from most players in the world.

“Of course we hope he has a match-winning innings somewhere – it would be great for him and great for the team, more importantly. But we’re confident he’s doing a great job for us.”

While Maxwell’s main contributions have come with the bat, Stoinis has impressed more with the ball in taking seven wickets across six matches, at an average of 30.28.

He moved up to bat at five in the last match against New Zealand, but was out for 21, which ensured his average at this World Cup is 16.25.

But Langer is convinced the 29-year-old is ready to make a telling contribution for Australia over the next couple of matches.

“Stoinis has been really good with the ball, especially bowling at the death,” added Langer. “He brings balance to side.

“We got him up to bat at five the other day, we were planning to get him time in the middle regardless of the situation but we didn’t have to manufacture it because of the wickets that fell.

“He’s been working on bringing more energy early in his innings and he started off well with a lovely cut shot over point and a cover drive but he probably didn’t grab the opportunity to spend more time in middle.

“He’s a very important part of the team because of what he can bring – he’s a brilliant fielder as well.

“Like Maxy, he would love some more runs. As a batsman, there’s nothing better for your confidence than having runs under your belt. He’s working hard and hopefully he has a match-winning or match-turning innings in the next couple of games.”
 
The ICC has confirmed that the Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019has approved Peter Handscomb as a replacement player for Shaun Marsh in the Australia squad for the remainder of the tournament.

Marsh has suffered a fracture to his forearm which will require surgery after being struck while practicing in the nets today.

The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.
 
Lol that strengths Australia even more. Handscomb should have been in the squad anyway. Always been a fan of his.
 
Watched last half of Australia vs England women 2nd ODI earlier on.Aus women had to score 218 to win.They were 136-5 after 31 overs.They beat England in 45 overs and lost only one wicket.
England women 217 all out 47.4 overs Aus women 218/6 45.2 overs.
The Australian women were as cool as cucumber.There was no panic.They kept playing attacking cricket.All of their shots were proper cricketing shots.Their men and women always put up a fight.
 
My prediction: Australia to win the WC if they face England in the final but will lose if they face India.
 
handscomb is far better than marsh.
handscomb weakness is phassst bowlers who bowl mean bouncers. he is great vs spin.
I am more impressed with Carey though. never expected him to perform the way he has.
 
MenInG said:
The ICC has confirmed that the Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019has approved Peter Handscomb as a replacement player for Shaun Marsh in the Australia squad for the remainder of the tournament.

Marsh has suffered a fracture to his forearm which will require surgery after being struck while practicing in the nets today.

The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.
Click to expand...

Should have been selected from the start.
 
If things had worked out slightly differently, Alex Carey could be an Aussie Rules football star right now, rather than lighting up the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

But the AFL’s loss is very much Australian cricket’s gain and worryingly for any opponents in the knockout stages, he seems to be getting better with every passing game.

Perhaps that shouldn’t come as a surprise because in some ways, the wicket-keeper-batsman who didn’t engage in any serious cricket between the ages of 18 and 21 has been playing catch-up ever since.

Having participated in both sports as a teenager, which included Carey playing Aussie Rules alongside adults by the age of 15, decision time initially came in 2010.

His heart lay with the oval ball as he turned down a rookie contract offer from the South Australian Cricket Association to join the Greater Western Sydney Giants in their preparations to join the AFL – Aussie Rules football’s elite competition – as an expansion team two years later.

A tough, athletic midfielder – traits he eventually transferred back to cricket when the time came – Carey captained the Giants for the 2010 season, played for them again in 2011 but then faced a heart-breaking conversation with legendary coach Kevin Sheedy, who told him he wouldn’t be needed for the step up to the AFL in 2012.

“It’s your dream, I guess, gone in front of your eyes,” Carey has said of that moment.

So the 21-year-old opted to pick up his bat once more and returned to the bottom of the cricketing ladder, making up for lost time every day in the seven years since or as he himself puts it: “I had a bit of an interesting journey through my early 20s. Since then, it’s escalated pretty quickly.”

That escalation – through club level, state level, the Big Bash and then an international debut in January 2018, just six years after essentially starting from scratch – has reached the stratosphere at this World Cup.

Invariably batting at seven, Carey has faced a variety of challenges when coming to the crease and mastered each with aplomb.

When Australia were languishing at 79/5 against West Indies, his measured 45 got them on the right track.

Needing 11 an over against India, he made a quickfire 55 off 35 balls and when a late kick against England was required, he responded with an unbeaten 38.

A then-career-best 71 against New Zealand that helped seal a semi-spot came form a starting spot of 92/5, before his latest salvo immediately bettered that – a swashbuckling 85 that nearly delivered Australia the unlikeliest of victories against South Africa.

That Old Trafford effort was the archetypal innings form the 27-year-old as he married power with precision, a mixture of cuts, drives and muscled slog-sweeps – all demonstrating his impeccable temperament that means he’s to the manor born at the highest level.

“He's played a couple of crucial innings for us in some difficult circumstances and different conditions,” admitted skipper Aaron Finch following the Proteas game.

“That second game at Lord's on a used wicket against New Zealand was a brilliant run-a-ball 71 and here, he played an outstanding knock but couldn't get us quite over the line.”

Carey’s average at this World Cup is now a superlative 65.80, not to mention his glovework behind the stumps – which has been almost flawless.

And if any more endorsement was needed, then the words of Australian great Steve Waugh in a column for the ICC earlier this tournament tell their own story.

"Alex Carey is a like hybrid of Michael Hussey and Michael Bevan," said Waugh. “Carey plays with the perfect mixture of calmness and intent, assessing the situation and pouncing on any opportunities that present themselves in the frenetic pressure of the final overs.

“He shapes as a potential match-winner for Australia in the back-end of the competition."

Waugh’s words may just prove prophetic and if so, this former Aussie Rules star’s ascent will be complete.
 
Another impressive innings from David Warner left Aaron Finch saluting his “big-game player” but he admits the opener needed some help from the rest of the Australia top order.

Hunting down a formidable 325/6 against South Africa at Old Trafford, Warner anchored the Australia innings with a majestic 122 from 117 balls to move second on the list of top run-scorers at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 with 638, behind only Rohit Sharma (647).

Only the consistently impressive number seven Alex Carey gave him any real support however, with a swashbuckling 69-ball knock of 85, and Australia ultimately came up ten runs short.

Warner’s celebrations when he brought up his century – running and leaping in the air having removed his helmet – showed how much it meant to the 32-year-old and Finch couldn’t fault his talisman.

“He played magnificently,” said the skipper. “The way he structured his knock was really important and it's never easy when you are losing wickets at the other end to map out your innings and navigate your way through some really difficult periods.

“But he showed his absolute class and it was an unbelievable knock to get 122. That was as good an innings as he could have played, I think.

“It would have been nice for him to go deep also to have some partners at the top of the order. Myself, [Marcus] Stoinis, Maxy [Glenn Maxwell] – it would have been nice for us to go deeper and make his job easier.

“He's a big-game player, he loves the big stage, so it is an exciting time.”

Warner’s penchant for the big stage should come in handy when Australia travel down to Birmingham to take on England in the second semi-final at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Victory over South Africa would have secured top spot in the group-stage table and enabled Australia to stay in Manchester for a last-four clash against New Zealand instead but Finch is relishing a blockbuster contest against the hosts – who they beat by 64 runs earlier in the competition.

“You have to beat everyone regardless of who it is or where it is,” he added. “Playing well against England at Lord's a couple of weeks ago will give us some good confidence going into that game.

“There's been a lot of build-up to the World Cup and especially getting towards the pointy end. England have been in really good form recently so again we're going to have to be at our best to win.

“It is going to be exciting. Whenever Australia play England it is exciting but any time you are at Birmingham as well, it's a fun crowd to play in front of there.

“There's always plenty of support there for both sides and it's going to be a great atmosphere. It will be a great spectacle, no doubt.”
 
Mitchell Starc believes Australia have already created the blueprint of how to beat England at this World Cup and has highlighted taking early wickets as the key to their mouth-watering semi-final.

The old rivals met at Lord’s during the group stage of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, where Australia set a target of 285/7 and then skittled England for 221 to complete a dominant 64-run win.

In that encounter, James Vince was removed second ball and the hosts were reduced to 53/4 in their chase, which is the sort of start that Starc is targeting when the sides meet again at Edgbaston this Thursday, with a place in the final on the line.

“The blueprint, if you like, from last time we played England was to get early wickets,” explained the left-arm seamer, who took 4-43 in that game.

“They’ll get Jason Roy back for the fixture, so we’ll have a few days now to discuss if we’ll change anything but the way we played England last time is a great blueprint.

“I think the game against India as well, where we didn’t take early wickets and they were able to build an innings before exploding towards the end, showed what we’ve looked to improve since then.”

Taking consistent early wickets was exactly what Australia were unable to do against South Africa at Old Trafford, as the Proteas top four scored 281 runs between them in a total of 325/6.

Valiant innings from David Warner (122) and Alex Carey (85) got Australia close but they ultimately lost by ten runs.

“This performance wasn’t our best – we got a couple of wickets but they had a partnership through the middle, whereas in the past few games we’ve been really good at taking wickets in that period,” added Starc.

“We were off it out there but we’re still in the World Cup semi-final which is no mean feat, especially given how a few people around the world were talking about this team three or four months ago.

“It’s something to be proud of but there’s a lot of work going forward to the semi-final and a lot to still take out of the South Africa game.”

Defeat against the Proteas saw Australia miss out on top spot in the table – which would have meant a semi-final against New Zealand in Manchester, rather than a clash with England.

But Starc isn’t worried about taking on the hosts, as they look to move a step closer to winning a sixth ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

“To win a World Cup you’ve got to beat everyone,” he explained. “Whether we play England in the semi-final or the final, or play India in the final or whatever, you’ve got to beat the good teams to win a World Cup.

“It’s a big game now in the semi-final and hopefully we can knock them off and advance to another final.”
 
6 July - Manchester - Australia Captain Aaron Finch post-match press conference

Q. That was a good fightback I guess there in the end. Was this a real setback to you today injury-wise and just losing and now having to play England in the semifinal?
AARON FINCH: I think what I said from the start is, the great thing about this format is you have to play everyone, you have to beat the best to win the title, so we didn't play our best cricket today, no doubt, it was a tale of two halves where our first 25 overs with the ball were not up to scratch and our first 25 overs with the bat.

Like you said, the way that we fought back to get as close as we did after not playing our best was still an encouraging sign.

Q. You touched on it there a bit. How disappointed are you with the start with the ball and I guess the intent early on in the game from your team?
AARON FINCH: I think we were off with our execution and energy in the field, so when you do that to good players on good batting wickets, and fast outfields, and they get away to a flyer, it can be hard to rein back in.

And Markram is a class player, he's shown what he can do, especially in Test cricket, and de Kock is as damaging as anyone when he gets going. So just a bit of execution off there and a bit with the bat as well, a couple of lazy dismissals, myself, Steve, Marcus and unfortunate for Uzzy to twinge his hammy.

Q. Can you update us with Usman and Marcus's injury and if you are in a position to talk about possible replacements?
AARON FINCH: Usman's not looking great in all honesty. He's done a couple of hammies before and he said it feels similar to that. So, in terms of replacements, we haven't had time to talk about that yet.

Marcus is a bit sore in his side and not -- we'll have to wait for scans tomorrow to know the finer details of it. Obviously, it is tough to talk about replacements and things like that when you haven't got the full story and the full scan, so we'll get that tomorrow and you guys will know as soon as we do, I guess -- well just after.

Q. How big a call was it to bring Usman on for the final overs and did it aggravate his injury?
AARON FINCH: No, he didn't aggravate it anymore when he got back out there. He was -- he wanted to go out and especially once we got as close as what we did, it was -- I think when you got guys like Rabada, Morris, still to finish off, having a batter in was going to be crucial, so that didn't work out the way that we planned.

Obviously, it would have been nice to hit some big balls there, but that happens, he's well and truly put the team first there which is a great quality to have and something that we pride ourself on that each and every player will always put the team first and to get in a position to win it, he was more than happy to go out.

Q. Would you have preferred to have faced New Zealand or England and does beating England earlier in the tournament give you a boost?
AARON FINCH: You have to beat everyone regardless of who it is or where it is. Playing well against England at Lord's a couple of weeks ago will give us some good confidence going into that game.

There's been a lot of build-up to the World Cup and especially getting towards the pointy end. England have been in really good form recently so again we're going to have to be at our best to win that.

But it is going to be exciting. Any time Australia plays England it is exciting, but even at -- any time you are at Birmingham as well, it's a fun crowd to play in front of there (smiling). There's always plenty of support there for both sides and it's going to be a great atmosphere. It will be a great spectacle no doubt.

Q. The pitches are sort of getting flatter. Does it open the door for Nathan Coulter-Nile to come back? He adds the girth to your batting lower-order?
AARON FINCH: Absolutely. Over the next couple of days, it will probably be a bit more telling when we get the results of Usman and Marcus's scans tomorrow when we know who we've got available to play to be fair and then we've got till Thursday to sit down and map out what we've got to try and find our best line-up to beat England, and that is all we can do.

We have talked about the flexibility the squad has had over the last four or five weeks, that everyone is ready to go at any stage, so that doesn't change regardless of what happens. Everyone will be preparing as if they are going to play.

Q. With two middle-order spots potentially opening up and Alex Carey playing another good innings today, is there a chance that you might look at him further up the order?
AARON FINCH: Yes, absolutely, that was something that was discussed leading into this game. It will be discussed leading into the next game no doubt. He's played a couple of crucial innings for us in some difficult circumstances and difficult conditions.

That second game at Lord's on a used wicket against New Zealand was a brilliant run-a-ball 71. And today he played an outstanding knock and couldn't get us quite over the line. But that partnership with Davey was outstanding and we'll look at everything to come up with the best 11 to win against England on Thursday.

Q. Does David look like someone who is warming to the task more and more each match? How much confidence does that give you given the way this tournament is going that the semifinal against England could be a high-scoring affair?
AARON FINCH: He played magnificent today. I think the way that that he structured his innings was really important today and it's never easy when you are losing wickets at the other end to map out your innings and navigate your way through some really difficult periods.

But he showed his absolute class today and it was an unbelievable knock to get 122. I think that was as good an innings as he could have played, I think.

It would have been nice for him to go deep and it would have been nice for him to have some partners at the top of the order -- myself, Stoinis, Maxxy, it would have been nice for us to go deeper and make his job easier. Yes, he's a big game player, he loves the big stage, so it is an exciting time (smiling).

Q. I understand you can make squad replacements. Peter Handscomb is already on the bench now. Against England is he the front-runner if Usman's place is up for grabs?
AARON FINCH: Again, we'll map out every scenario but coming up over the next few days, we will know more about who is available in the next couple of days and what replacements look like, so... But Pete, every time he's had an opportunity to play for Australia he's done really well and played some crucial innings for us in India and in the UAE so he's ready to go if needed.

Q. The threat that Faf du Plessis poses you guys you are well aware of. A guy like Rassie van der Dussen, you haven't seen him before, what did you think of him today?
AARON FINCH: He played a really good innings. The way that he caught up, we bowled well at him early and squeeze him in his first 20 or so balls and the way that he caught up, he's a leg-side dominant player and played some really nice shots and showed a lot of class and a guy who looks like he's played a lot of cricket to be able to get through that period and then explode at the end, he got them to that 325 which ultimately was too much.

Q. Was there any issue at all with Mitchell Starc? It seemed like he might have had an issue with his knee?
AARON FINCH: No, he just landed funny that ball. His ankle -- when you get some foot holes and edges on foot holes, if he changes his position on the crease, at times he lands in it and it just jars it. No issue there.
 
Aussies did well but they had one major hiccup against South Africans.

I still back Aussies to win the trophy.
 
With Mitch Marsh coming in, the weak link of Stoinis can be removed, making the side more threatening. Smith can play at three due to Khawaja’s injury.
 
In the South Africa match, I fail to understand why Starc & Cummins bowled 9 overs, not 10 overs ! If they bowled their 10 overs, 2 more overs of them could have reduced the score of South Africa to 10 less at least. They would have given themselves a greater chance of winning. Poor captaincy from Finch imo !
 
AdamM97 said:
My prediction: Australia to win the WC if they face England in the final but will lose if they face India.
Click to expand...
Now that they'll face England in SF, do you think they'll still lose to India/NZ, if they reach finals?
 
The Viper said:
With Mitch Marsh coming in, the weak link of Stoinis can be removed, making the side more threatening. Smith can play at three due to Khawaja’s injury.
Click to expand...
Marsh is not someone who is a world beater himself. I think just like India, Australia too is pegged back by their batting, barring their openers and to some extent Carey.
 
I think their bowling attack is not all that great. Only their two opening bowlers Starc and Cummins are threatening and wicket taking bowlers. Other bowlers do not pose the same threats. We saw this in most of their matches.
 
latecut said:
I think their bowling attack is not all that great. Only their two opening bowlers Starc and Cummins are threatening and wicket taking bowlers. Other bowlers do not pose the same threats. We saw this in most of their matches.
Click to expand...
True.

Starc of course, is a threat for any team. Needless to say England needs to preserve their wickets upfront or else their innings may look copy of what happened in their league game against Australia.
 
Mitch Marsh isn't a weak link? His performances in LOI is mediocre at best. They need to go with 6/5 if they want to win against England. Play both of the spinners & All three pacers. Maxwell will get smacked like a potato if he bowls in that ground.
 
Australia is a very weak team overall. If you get either Finch or Warner in first 5-10 overs. they are finished. Smith is out of knick, Maxwell is struggling. Even their new replacements cnt just come in a worldcup semsis and smack & win them games. carey should move to number 4 if they want to win games tbh. he is in good form. Bowling wise they need to play both spinners aganist england bc if they played mitch & he got smacked in first 3-4 overs . Finch will be forced to go to Maxwell & England will roast him on the ground with a 59 meter boundary.
 
Starc needs Conditions according to his strengths to bowl well otherwise he's nothing but a tailenders cleaner. We all saw what happened aganist SA when the pitch was flat & make no mistake it will be a road in semis with that Short Boundary. Lord help australia if england bats first.
 
KohliKafan said:
Australia is a very weak team overall. If you get either Finch or Warner in first 5-10 overs. they are finished. Smith is out of knick, Maxwell is struggling. Even their new replacements cnt just come in a worldcup semsis and smack & win them games. carey should move to number 4 if they want to win games tbh. he is in good form. Bowling wise they need to play both spinners aganist england bc if they played mitch & he got smacked in first 3-4 overs . Finch will be forced to go to Maxwell & England will roast him on the ground with a 59 meter boundary.
Click to expand...

If India can win its semi final and reach the final, I would want India to face Australia in the final, rather than England.
 
i want the same tbh. toss will be a big factor in final tho bc it will be a batting paradise with a short boundary on one side.
 
The ICC has confirmed that the Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019has approved Matthew Wade as a replacement player for Usman Khawaja in the Australia squad for the remainder of the tournament.

The ICC received the relevant paperwork at 10h41am local time this morning (10 July) from Cricket Australia to apply to replace Khawaja who has sustained a hamstring injury which has ruled him out of further participation in the event.

The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.
 
Aussies may be out of the 2019 WC but this is How Aussies will plan for 2023

Australia will start planning for the 2023 World Cup in India as countries look to replicate the England model of investing in a meticulous four-year build with a squad designed for the future.

Coach Justin Langer has publicly lauded how the Aussies’ semi-final conqueror selected both the guts of its World Cup team and its game plan all the way back in 2015.

Seven Englishmen that played in today’s thumping eight-wicket win against an imploding Australia at Edgbaston also lined up in the country’s first ODI after the 2015 cup, when they posted 9/408 in a 210-run win against New Zealand.

“After a World Cup you always start looking and you have one eye towards the next one,” captain Aaron Finch said.

“As a management (and) senior players, I’m sure over the next couple of months we will sit down and start talking about that."

“(We’ll) start planning how we think that we can best prepare and improve over the next four years to get us to go two steps further.

“I think every team will do that. You start looking at what you can improve most and areas that you can identify that you need to work on.

“That happens naturally with players.”

Australia’s forward thinking will also involve steeling a white-ball squad for the home Twenty20 World Cup in 15 months.

While Finch’s captaincy was one of Australia’s highlights in England, the 2023 vision could see vice-captain Alex Carey eventually take over with an eye to 2023.

Former captain Steve Smith, 30, will also be eligible for leadership positions by then.

Top order batsmen Finch, David Warner and Usman Khawaja will all be 36
come the next World Cup.

Finch said it was crucial coaches and management were “on the same page” and everyone “pulls in the same direction”, which Australia started to do when it tore up its ODI template last December.

While England spent four years building for 2019, Australia’s charge began with a four-hour crisis meeting during the Boxing Day Test.

The Aussies lost 22 out of 26 ODIs before overhauling the team and winning 15 out of 16 ODIs as it led the World Cup ladder with one game remaining.

But England captain Eoin Morgan boasted unrivalled continuity after conceding his team was at ground zero in 2015.

“You can look back and say what you want about the (2015) World Cup, but I’m looking forward,” Morgan said four years ago.

“There’s about 90 games until the next World Cup and we need to get some games into this team.”

After South Africa crashed out its captain Faf du Plessis said “in a perfect world, yes we would” strip it back and start planning for 2023 now.

Morgan conceded his team, which is through to England’s first World Cup final since 1992, was “way off the mark” in 2015.

“It’s been a process for the last four years,” he said after beating Australia.

“In 2015 we struggled against the top teams, and the teams that sat below that, so there was quite a drastic change in the way we played and the way we looked at playing our 50-over cricket.”

https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...cnqyqLi4Dgmw8A4aWBBZNPtyp2vWm7FslUpFouBH3KpVY
 
So no firing of coaches, captain or players. No ex-cricketers filling the airwaves with unjustified criticism of current players. No fans sitting in their arm chairs calling for playing careers to be ended.

Compare and contrast the Pakistani approach to post WC planning with that of Australia. All the change that Australia will bring about will be controlled, planned and considered. Whereas history tells us the Pakistani approach in the past can best be described as knee jerk response.

Dearly hope the PBC has learnt from the past that stability and not change is what Pakistan needs now.
 
This is the difference, teams like Australia will probably look at the English formula of starting with a blank piece of paper and working out what we need to do different in terms of our strategy for rebuilding the team compared to what we did in the past, and make some bold decisions to move forward. And sometimes there can be short term losses for long term gains.

Now contrast to the most likely Pakistan response - we did well, it was just due to some bad luck and conspiracies by ICC/other teams that we are out. How do we rebuild? Let’s repeat the same formula we have tried before , this time instead of Azhar Ali we can go with Hafeez as captain as he’s a senior and well respected by all as he performs by example even against the best teams, let’s bring in some ‘fresh’ faces into the team , bring back Ahmed Shezad, Umar Akmal and Usman Shinwari. There we have it, now we need a series against Zimbabwe to get confidence back and let the likes of Umar Akmal and Shezad silence their critics and show why they should have been in the World Cup team.
Bringing back Kamran Akmal could be the boldest thing Pakistan might do, after all Rizwan was tried regularly as long as he failed, once he got those two 100s v Australia, my gut feeling is he’s not going to be seen for a while.
 
If you can neutralize Starc they are easy beat, India, England and SA proved that. Go after Starc in the first few overs and then he loses his mind and starts bowling all over the place.
 
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