England will be the team to beat in limited-overs cricket over the next couple of years, according to former Australia captain Steve Waugh.
Australia's old enemy won the T20 World Cup in Melbourne on Sunday, beating Pakistan in the final, having also secured the 50-over World Cup in 2019.
The host nation did not make it out of the Super 12 stage after failing to recover from a heavy opening defeat to New Zealand.
Speaking to Stats Perform at the Laureus Challenge 2022, presented by Sierra Space, Waugh said Australia's performance in the tournament had been disappointing and tipped England to face motivated opposition now they are on top of both formats of limited-overs cricket.
"It was our home World Cup, I guess the fans expected Australia to do well but they didn't make the semi-finals, which was disappointing," Waugh conceded. "They weren't at their best and in T20, winning, it's a very fine line. If you're not 100 per cent in the game, you're gonna lose the match. And so Australia probably didn't deserve to be in the semi-finals.
"England, I think, were the best team overall so they deserved to win it, [and] Pakistan put up a good show.
"But [for] England it's pretty exciting to win both the 50-over World Cup and now the 20-over World Cup... They've set a benchmark for themselves, every other side is going to be trying to beat them in the next couple of years."
Waugh played in 168 Test matches for Australia between 1985 and 2004, scoring 10,927 runs at an average of 51.06, as well as making 325 ODI appearances, with an average of 32.90.
Asked why he thought Australia struggled at the T20 World Cup, Waugh said: "I just think they didn't really click. The first game against New Zealand was a really bad result, they lost by 90 runs, and that put pressure on their run rate and almost threw them off balance all the way through.
"The captain [Aaron Finch] was a bit out of form. So maybe that was a bit unsettling in the team. But overall, they just weren't on their game. Their fielding wasn't up to scratch and they looked a bit sluggish."
It was England who took the trophy, though, with Ben Stokes hitting his first ever T20I half-century as his team beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final.
"I think it was an entertaining final [and] it could have gone either way," Waugh said. "But England had that man called Ben Stokes, who seems to perform in those pressure situations and has almost got a bit of a Midas touch in the big games."
Despite the hosts' struggles, Waugh still feels the event was a success, with big crowds turning up to games.
"The crowds were huge," he said. "One hundred thousand people saw India play Pakistan at the MCG... The people loved it.
"T20 cricket is a real social event. Young people go and watch it, have a good time. And it's exciting, they get a quick result. And they can see another game the next day."
Nadal backed for dream Roland Garros send-off by Lopez
Rafael Nadal is unlikely to match Novak Djokovic's haul of 24 grand slam titles, but the Spaniard is capable of capping his remarkable career with one last Roland Garros triumph next year.
That is the opinion of Feliciano Lopez, who hopes to see Nadal overcome his injury woes to enjoy a triumphant send-off in 2024.
Nadal's total of 22 grand slam titles is only bettered by Djokovic among male players, with the Serbian matching Margaret Court's overall record by winning the US Open.
Djokovic has won three of four grand slams in 2023, with injuries leading Nadal to miss the last three majors after he was eliminated from the Australian Open by Mackenzie McDonald in January.
Nadal confirmed earlier this year that 2024 would "probably" be his last year on the tour, and former world number nine Lopez is desperate to see his compatriot go out on a high.
Asked if Nadal could add to his 14 French Open titles – a single-slam record – next year, Lopez told Stats Perform: "With Rafa, you never know, because he has shown on other occasions that he was able to come back stronger, even when he had significant injuries.
"It will depend a lot on how he feels physically, that will be key. I wouldn't be surprised to see him competing at a good level next year and I would love for him to say goodbye by winning Roland Garros.
"It would be a dream for me and many people to see him lift that cup once again.
"It is very difficult for me to talk about Rafa, because he has changed the way we see sport in Spain. Before Rafa we had great athletes, but none transcended sport the way he has.
"Rafa's figure in Spanish sport and in the lives of Spanish people… there will be none like him.
"There have been many joys that he has given us. He has given us examples in many situations outside of sports. There will be a before and after [Nadal] in Spanish sport."
While Nadal now looks highly unlikely to match the evergreen Djokovic for total grand slam titles, Lopez does not believe that will concern the 37-year-old.
"The issue of numbers and who is bigger than who fuels the media a lot," Lopez added. "At this moment in Rafa's life, I don't think he is thinking about that.
"With the numbers, we can see who won the most things, but that is not the question. I want him to return so he can compete again for one last year at the highest level.
"Hopefully he wins one or two more grand slams, but right now, his goal is to recover and be physically competitive.
"That is what Rafa needs and wants, because if he is not feeling well enough to compete, it will be very difficult for him to be able to play many tournaments next year."
Henry Arundell impresses his captain with five-star show as England rout Chile
Henry Arundell was praised by captain Owen Farrell for delivering a complete performance after the England wing starred in a 71-0 rout of Chile that offers clear sight of the World Cup quarter-finals.
Arundell crossed five times at Stade Pierre-Mauroy to equal the record for the number of tries scored in a match by an Englishman and was duly recognised with the man of the match award.
While the 20-year-old wing starred on his World Cup debut through his clinical finishing, it was the unseen, unglamorous work that caught Farrell’s eye.
“Everybody knows what talent Henry’s got. He’s shown it before this game,” Farrell said.
“He’s shown it for London Irish and he showed it when he got his first touch in international rugby against Australia last year.
“A big thing that Henry showed against Chile was that he got after everything in between. He didn’t just finish tries. He got balls back in the air, he chased hard and worked hard for the team.
“Ultimately, he got his rewards off the back of that. He does what he does unbelievably well.”
England amassed 11 tries against the weakest team in Pool D as their attacking game exploded into life, inspired by Marcus Smith’s lively contribution in his first start at full-back.
Smith scored two tries, including a superb solo effort, and provided a cutting edge to suggest he could be a long-term option in the position.
“Marcus played really well. The decisions he made, he looked dangerous constantly, as he normally does,” Farrell said.
“All I can say is I enjoyed it and I thought he played really well. George Ford added when he came on as well.”
Smith’s performance was acclaimed by head coach Steve Borthwick, who brought on Ford for the last half hour as England closed out the game with three fly-halves on the field.
Once the 24-year-old Smith had recovered from butchering two early chances, he dazzled Chile with his speed, footwork and creativity.
“Marcus did a lot of very good things. Playing at 15, there is a different amount of space there compared to playing at 10,” Borthwick said.
“The way Marcus took those opportunities, found the space and linked with Henry in particular was a positive. It shows there is a lot of hard work from everybody on the training field.
“There was a lot of exciting talent on the pitch. This squad is packed full of talent and packed full of options. The starting configuration did a really good job after working through a challenging spell.
“To be able to change that during the game and have Owen, George and Marcus on the pitch brought another dimension and certainly gives options for the future.”
Chile captain Martin Sigren admitted his World Cup newcomers are a work in progress.
“It’s a tough lesson. Four years ago we were getting the same result against Canada and the USA,” Sigren said.
“We were losing games against Brazil. Four years later look at us – we’re here, so I have to hold on to that.
“We will keep on working. Maybe four years later the results will be different.”
Will Jacks pleased to take his chance to impress in England success
Will Jacks is primed to be among England’s reserve options at the World Cup after advancing his claims for a spot in a shadow side’s win over Ireland in the second one-day international.
England going to India next week ahead of the defence of their 50-over crown, which starts in less than a fortnight, means a completely separate squad was chosen for the Metro Bank series against Ireland.
Jacks did not make the cut for the World Cup but, with England yet to announce who will be on standby to travel in case injury strikes, he boosted his chances with a dazzling 94 off 88 balls on Saturday.
Asked if he feels like he has given the selectors a nudge, the 24-year-old said after England’s 48-run win at Trent Bridge: “I don’t know – that’s up to them, I’ve just got to do what I can on the pitch.
“This was a good start. It’s my first ODI game of the summer, since Bangladesh (in March), and I’m happy with how I’ve started.
“Hopefully I’ll have another opportunity (in the third and final ODI) on Tuesday and put in another good show.
“But the World Cup squad has been selected, I’m hoping to score runs in the meantime and if anything comes up then I’ll be ready.”
A changing of the guard is expected at the end of the World Cup as a number of first-choice, established players are expected to retire from the 50-over format and usher in the next generation.
Jacks gave a demonstration of what England fans could expect in the next few years as he opened for the first time in ODIs, finding some fluency with some crisp drives and punishing anything short.
He thumped four sixes but seeking his fifth to bring up a maiden international ton, Jacks instead top-edged George Dockrell to Andy Balbirnie, who settled under a skier a few feet in from the boundary.
Jacks, though, was unrepentant and signalled his unwavering commitment to the approach to batting that has served England so well in recent years.
He said: “I would have been more frustrated if I’d have tapped it around, got to 99 and then nicked off, that would have really p****d me off. I’m really happy with how I went about it.
“You’ve got to keep pushing forward – the state of the game, you can’t just knock it around and think about yourself.
“Obviously I’m going to think about those six runs and so will some other people watching but the 94 is what counts and the team win is what matters most at the end of the day.”
Sam Hain took top billing among England’s four debutants with 89 from 82 balls to lift England to 334 for eight but George Scrimshaw had mixed fortunes on his international bow as Ireland subsided to 286, with teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed the pick of the attack with four for 54 in a classy 10 overs.
Scrimshaw bowled four no-balls in his first over and two in his second, plus a wide, as he leaked 35 in 11 legal deliveries but the seamer showed plenty of character to finish with figures of 8.4-0-66-3.
Jacks said: “Everyone could see he was pretty down about it. I bowled two no-balls myself. It’s a pretty bad feeling. Especially when you’re on debut, the adrenaline, the emotion.
“Everyone’s felt it in some way, just for him to be on TV, a global stage, it was a horrible feeling. He came back really well, got three wickets and bowled nicely, which he deserved.”
England had a combined 38 ODI appearances ahead of this fixture – compared to Ireland’s 720 – but they may find themselves flung together more often so this was a promising glimpse into a potential future.
After England moved 1-0 up in a three-match series that will conclude in Bristol, Jacks added: “We’ve just come together but we’ve all played together a lot and against each other numerous times, we know how each other plays, we know each other as people so it’s almost like you gel straightaway.
“We’re just guys who are really relishing playing for England and getting these opportunities while the World Cup squad is away. We’re just loving it.”
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