Mitchell Starc said Josh Hazlewood's assertion that securing England's T20 World Cup exit would benefit Australia had been blown out of proportion after Saturday's win over Scotland kept their old rivals alive.
England's rain-affected victory over Namibia on Saturday put their hopes of reaching the Super 8s in Australia's hands.
Having already sealed their own place in the next round, Australia knew a win over Scotland would keep their rivals in the tournament, while a defeat would see Scotland advance.
Aided by six dropped catches, Scotland set a target of 181 only for Travis Head (68) and Marcus Stoinis (59) to excel with the bat as Australia got over the line with two balls to spare.
Earlier this week, Hazlewood suggested Australia might be best served by ensuring they cannot meet England further down the line, speculating about the possibility of "dragging out" the match against Scotland.
Starc, however, insists those comments were made with tongue in cheek.
"I think a throwaway line has been blown right out of proportion by you lot," he said, referring to the media.
"You don't stuff around with mother cricket and trying to worry about other results. We're here to win games. It's international cricket.
"England now are on the other side of the draw, so it really doesn't make that much difference for the next three games."
Brandon McMullen – who hit a terrific 60 off 34 balls for Scotland, including two fours and six maximums – never questioned the integrity of Australia's approach.
"They're always going to put up a good fight," he said. "They're never just going to roll over and let you win.
"I'm glad that it was a close game today. We showed that we can compete at this high level against the best players in the world."
England qualified for the Super 8s at the T20 World Cup at Scotland's expense after Australia completed a dramatic chase to eliminate Richie Berrington's team in St Lucia.
England's hopes of extending their title defence were left in Australia's hands following their 41-run, rain-affected victory over Namibia in Antigua earlier on Saturday.
That result meant Scotland needed a win to progress, while Australia had already clinched their place in the next stage and had nothing to play for.
England's old enemies did not treat it like a dead rubber, though, as Travis Head (68) and Marcus Stoinis (59) starred with the bat, the latter hitting his total from just 29 balls including nine fours and two maximums.
That ensured they chased down a daunting target of 181 with just two balls to spare as Scotland gave a good account of themselves once again.
It had looked like Scotland's innings might be a short one when Michael Jones went for two after just six balls, but they recovered to reach 92-2 as Brandon McMullen made 60 off 34 deliveries.
However, his vital wicket fell when he got a thick outside edge on Adam Zampa's delivery, Mitchell Starc diving to complete a clean catch.
Skipper Berrington hit an unbeaten 42 but Scotland's total would prove to be insufficient, some expensive bowling costing them as even Safyaan Sharif's two wickets came at a cost of 44 runs.
While Scotland have now fallen at the first hurdle on five of their six T20 World Cup appearances, England live to fight another day.
The 2022 victors will now face both co-hosts, the United States and West Indies, as well as South Africa, in Group 2 at the Super-8 stage.
Data Debrief: Thrill of the chase for Australia
Earlier this week, England fans were put on edge when Josh Hazlewood suggested it might be in Australia's "best interests" to take it easy against Scotland and send their old rivals home.
Six dropped catches from the Australian fielders might have had England fearing the worst as Scotland reached 180-5, but the Aussie batters can never be ruled out.
Their strike rate of 160.2 in the final five overs when chasing at the T20 World Cup is the second highest of any team, behind only West Indies (163.8).
England's hopes of making it to the Super 8s are still alive after a 41-run victory on DLS over Namibia on Saturday.
The rain heavily delayed the start in Antigua, reducing the match to a 10-over-a-side game.
Despite the must-win nature of the match, England's openers got off to a slow start with Jos Buttler bowled for a duck while Phil Salt was dismissed for just 11.
Harry Brook was the star with 47 not out, with Jonny Bairstow's 31 adding to their cushion, though Ruben Trumpelmann finished strongly for Namibia with a 2-31.
With England finishing on 122-5, Namibia were set a target of 127 on DLS, and their chase got off to a steady start, but by the halfway point, Namibia still needed 92 runs from 30 balls.
Shortly after, Niko Davin retired with 18, and two big catches by Brook took out Michael van Lingen (33) and David Wiese (27) ensured England eased to victory.
Now, England need to hope that Australia beat Scotland in their Group B match, otherwise, the holders will be going out in the group stage.
Data Debrief: England's hopes stay alive
Brook was the standout performer for England on both sides today, stalling Nambia's admittedly slow chase, while contributing the most to their run chase with a knock including four fours and two sixes.
It is his largest run total at the World Cup so far, more than doubling his tally from their defeat to Australia (20).
Afghanistan’s Head coach Jonathan Trott and seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi praised the assistance of bowling consultant Dwayne Bravo, whose expertise they believe has been integral to their success in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup so far.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACC) appointed Bravo prior to the global showpiece, and their decision has so far proven fruitful, as the former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies all-rounder’s influence has been invaluable to their charge.
Contesting Group C alongside co-host West Indies, Afghanistan have been rampant so far, as they easily brushed aside Uganda, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, on their way to qualifying for the Super Eight knockout phase.
Bravo, 40, a legend in the game’s shortest format, featured in the West Indies 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cup titles, and more importantly has played over 550 matches, and this experience that he brings to the Afghanistan setup has certainly been felt.
“Obviously, Bravo is really well-respected. His work ethic is great, along with the other coaches. His knowledge of the game and the amount of T20 cricket he has played, the conditions and obviously his knowledge of the local grounds and how they are going to play (are great assets),” Trott said, during the post-game briefing after their seven-wicket win over PNG on Thursday.
"I've obviously played against him and getting to spend a lot of time with him is great and it is great to have him on our side. He works with the bowlers and he works with the batters as well. He was a really good all-rounder, wasn't he? Lots of experience to draw from and we are pleased we've secured his services," the former England star added.
Farooqi, who has taken a tournament-high 12 wickets at the T20 World Cup, says Bravo has given them valuable insights on how to bowl at critical stages of the match.
"DJ Bravo, I have been with him from the last four years. I have played with him in the same team. He knows me and I know how big a player he is. He gives us tips on how we bowl in the death, how we bowl in crucial situations. He is a big player. He is a mentor to us," he said.
"He has given me ideas on how I should bowl in the death in the pressure time. How I should use the slow ball, how I should use the long ball (yorker). That for us is a good thing," Farooqi noted.
Afghanistan will play West Indies on Monday in their final preliminary round match, which is merely to decide, who will enter the knockout stages with their unbeaten record intact.
For the Super Eight, Afghanistan are drawn alongside Australia and India, with Bangladesh or Netherlands to be their next opponent.
New Zealand's Trent Boult has confirmed that he will not play at another T20 World Cup.
Boult, who has 32 wickets in 17 outings in the tournament, will prepare for the Black Caps' final game of this year's edition against Papua New Guinea on Monday.
New Zealand exited a World Cup before the last four for the first time since 2014 after losing their opening games to Afghanistan and West Indies.
Despite earning their maiden win of the tournament against Uganda, Monday's fixture against Papua New Guinea means little for New Zealand.
And 34-year-old Boult confirmed that match will be his final appearance at a T20 World Cup.
"Speaking on behalf of myself, this will be my last T20 World Cup," Boult told the media.
With him bowing out from the T20 World Cup, the Black Caps will now have to fill a gaping hole in their bowling attack for 2026.
In the current squad, only three players will be under 30-years-old, with Tim Southee another standout name who looks set to step back in the coming years.
Both Boult and Southee have played a pivotal role in recent ODI and T20 World Cups, and Boult is hopeful the latest edition of the competition will not be the last time he features alongside his good friend.
"I look at the partnership with Tim with very fond memories," he said. "We bowled a lot of overs together. I know the partnership very well, and obviously he's a very good friend on and off the ground.
"It was nice to wind back the clock a little bit and see a bit of swing bowling at the top. Some great memories, and hopefully a couple more still to come."
New Zealand's Trent Boult has confirmed that he will not play at another T20 World Cup.
Boult, who has 32 wickets in 17 outings in the tournament, will prepare for the Black Caps' final game of this year's edition against Papua New Guinea on Monday.
New Zealand exited a World Cup before the last four for the first time since 2014 after losing their opening games to Afghanistan and West Indies.
Despite earning their maiden win of the tournament against Uganda, Monday's fixture against Papua New Guinea means little for New Zealand.
And 34-year-old Boult confirmed that match will be his final appearance at a T20 World Cup.
"Speaking on behalf of myself, this will be my last T20 World Cup," Boult told the media.
With him bowing out from the T20 World Cup, the Black Caps will now have to fill a gaping hole in their bowling attack for 2026.
In the current squad, only three players will be under 30-years-old, with Tim Southee another standout name who looks set to step back in the coming years.
Both Boult and Southee have played a pivotal role in recent ODI and T20 World Cups, and Boult is hopeful the latest edition of the competition will not be the last time he features alongside his good friend.
"I look at the partnership with Tim with very fond memories," he said. "We bowled a lot of overs together. I know the partnership very well, and obviously he's a very good friend on and off the ground.
"It was nice to wind back the clock a little bit and see a bit of swing bowling at the top. Some great memories, and hopefully a couple more still to come."
Cricket West Indies (CWI) and FairBreak Foundation have announced a new partnership to promote and support Women’s Cricket in the region.
As well as FairBreak Invitational T20 Tournaments, FairBreak has created a new Foundation which will use donations to support grassroots women and girls cricket programmes across the Caribbean.
FairBreak Global, are dedicated to promoting gender equality through Women’s Invitational T20 tournaments, having successfully hosted two ICC-sanctioned tournaments to date in Dubai (2022) and Hong Kong (2023).
Johnny Grave, CWI Chief Executive Officer stated, “we are pleased and enthusiastic to be the first ICC Full Member Board to partner with FairBreak. One of the new strategic objectives of CWI has been to achieve parity between women and men in cricket by 2027 and we believe that this partnership will allow us to showcase the talent and potential of female cricketers in the West Indies, while promoting inclusivity and gender equality within the sport.”
Cheryll Rogers, FairBreak Chief Executive Officer commented, “we are delighted to partner with CWI and bring the support of FairBreak to the communities of the Caribbean. It has been my pleasure to bring FairBreak up to a new level for women’s cricket. Our aspiration is to partner with cricket boards and charities to uplift community cricket as well as create new pathways into the women’s professional game. The new FairBreak team and their commitment to the highest standards of safety and governance, are setting a gold standard for the environment in which we invite players to play. Our tournaments will now be held in the best stadiums in the world, including the West Indies. A truly unique opportunity.”
FairBreak’s commitment to the West Indies includes investment in grassroots cricket programmes that will benefit and inspire future generations of female cricketers throughout the region, as well through engaging local coaches, match officials and other support personnel in upcoming FairBreak Invitational T20 Tournaments planned for the future.
India missed the chance to make it four wins from as many T20 World Cup games after their final group clash with Canada was abandoned due to rain in Florida.
Rohit Sharma's side had already secured progression from Group A to the Super 8s, while co-hosts Canada could not escape the pool after two losses and a sole victory.
The match on Saturday was called off without a ball being bowled due to the persistent downpour at Lauderhill.
India, Australia, and Afghanistan have all qualified to feature in Group 1 of the Super 8s, which starts on Wednesday.
Scotland all-rounder Michael Leask sees no reason why his side cannot score a surprise upset over Australia to secure their T20 World Cup progression on Saturday.
Group B remains wide open heading into the final day of pool action when England face Namibia before Scotland will know what result is required when they meet Australia later in the day.
Scotland are two points clear of England, though Jos Buttler's side have a superior net run-rate after hammering Oman in a complete thrashing on Thursday to keep their Super 8s hopes alive.
England will be expected to overcome Namibia earlier in the day, leaving it likely Scotland must overcome already-qualified Australia to seal their group-stage progression.
Although Scotland have lost all five white-ball meetings with Australia, each coming in the 50-over format, Leask believes his team should be confident heading into the game.
"Australia are one of the best in the world," Leask said.
"It is going to be a tough game, but why can't we go and do what we've done before and cause an upset?"
Scotland are in this position after their washout against England before a commanding victory over Namibia, while Buttler's side are trailing due to their defeat to Australia.
An unlikely scenario still brings the chance for Scotland to lose by a narrow margin and progress even if England beat Namibia, and Leask says this situation was always on the cards.
"We knew coming into this game it would be," he said. "England had two tough games to play and they've played the first one very well.
"We always knew this was going to be a must-win game for us and it's a hell of an opportunity for us to go and play really good cricket and take on one of the best in the world."
Josh Hazlewood mooted the idea that Australia may concede the game in a certain manner to send England out, though team-mate Pat Cummins believes a decision like that is not plausible.
Regardless, Leask insists Scotland are firing on all cylinders before this decider.
"Our boys are firing, we've got some good skill sets, some nice spinners, some good seamers and then batters who are playing really well," Leask said.
"We're going at this game quietly confident. Our batters are probably going to have to step up knowing we're facing the best in the world.
"They've probably got the best all-round bowling attack in the world. It's going to have to be two or three batters in that batting innings that are really going to have to put Australia under the pump with a ball.
"We know that it's capable of happening and that's possible."
Solid performances with ball and bat set Sri Lanka Women up for a six-wicket win over the West Indies Women in Hambantota to open their three-match ODI series on Saturday.
West Indies, after losing the toss, made a strong start, getting to 75 for 1 courtesy a 68-run second-wicket stand between captain Hayley Matthews and vice-captain Shemaine Campbelle.
They lost momentum after left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari broke that partnership in the 19th over, losing their last eight wickets for 120 runs.
Matthews (38) and Stafanie Taylor (33) were the only Windies batters to get past 30, as the spinners, led by Kumari and Dilhari, chipped away.
The tourists were eventually restricted to 195 off 47.1 overs.
Kumari led the way with 3-30 from nine overs while Kavisha Dilhari took 3-41 from 9.1 overs.
Sri Lanka's top five then managed the chase perfectly, with four of them getting past 35.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu (38) and Vishmi Gunaratne (40) got them off to a solid start, putting on 88 in 13.2 overs, before a brief stumble, losing three wickets for 13 runs, with two of them falling to the medium-pace of Aaliyah Alleyne.
Harshitha Samarawickrama (44*) and Hasini Perera (43), however, ensured there wouldn't be any more major hiccups, putting on 63 for the fourth wicket to all but seal victory, before Afy Fletcher picked up a consolation wicket late in the game.
Sri Lanka ended up 198-4 in just 34.1 overs.
This win broke a streak of six straight ODI defeats to the West Indies for the hosts since their last win over the regional outfit all the way back in 2015.
The second ODI is set for Monday.
Full Scores:
West Indies Women 195 off 47.1 overs (Hayley Matthews 38, Stafanie Taylor 33, Sugandika Kumari 3-30, Kavisha Dilhari 3-41)
Sri Lanka Women 198 for 4 off 34.1 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 44*, Hasini Perera 43, Vishmi Gunaratne 40, Chamari Athapaththu 38, Aaliyah Alleyne 2-22, Afy Fletcher 2-31)
Tabraiz Shamsi was "relieved" as his heroics helped South Africa edge to a one-run victory over Nepal at the T20 World Cup in Kingstown.
Nepal looked on the verge of a shock victory, needing two from the final ball to secure the win. However, Ghulsan Jha was run out at the non-striker's end as South Africa came through unscathed to make it four wins from four at the tournament.
Despite Ottniel Baartman bowling the final over, it was Shamsi's 4-19 that proved crucial in South Africa getting over the line, including two wickets in the 18th over to turn the game back in his team's favour.
The spinner was thankful South Africa avoided an unlikely defeat, telling reporters: "[I am] definitely relieved.
"The team is standing up to the pressure and that's great to see."
Proteas captain Aiden Markram praised the efforts of Nepal, whose narrow defeat means they are eliminated from the competition with one game to spare in Group D.
"You have to give Nepal a lot of credit," Markram said. "Throughout the game they put us under a lot of pressure, and it shows the quality they have."
While Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel was disappointed in the defeat, he also took pride in how his team fared against one of the tournament favourites.
"I'm very proud of the unit, the way we bowled and batted," Paudel stated. "We were very close but a little far."
Nepal came to within two runs of a famous victory over South Africa as the Proteas edged a thrilling encounter in Kingstown to remain unbeaten at the T20 World Cup.
Sompal Kami knew that two runs from the final ball of the match would secure an unlikely triumph, but batting partner Ghulsan Jha was run out at the non-striker's end to conclude their first meeting in international cricket.
South Africa were restricted to 115-7 with opener Reeza Hendricks producing 43 runs from 49 balls, ultimately handing the initiative to their opponents to keep their Super 8s hopes alive.
Nepal would last until the eighth over before losing Kushal Bhurtel and Rohit Paudel in three balls, but the Rhinos would steady the ship, leading to a nail-biting finish.
However, Tabraiz Shamsi (4-19) struck twice in a game-changing 18th over, aided by Ottniel Baartman denying seven runs in the final over to decide the tie.
South Africa face the United States in Antigua on June 19, while Nepal search for their first win of the tournament as they take on Bangladesh in their final Group D game.
Meanwhile, New Zealand secured their first win of their T20 World Cup campaign with relative ease, beating Uganda by nine wickets at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
The Black Caps exit from the tournament had already been confirmed following Afghanistan's seven-wicket triumph over Papua New Guinea, exiting a World Cup before the last four for the first time since 2014.
Trent Boult dictated the early pace of the encounter, taking two wickets inside the first over as their opponents quickly saw five wickets fall for just 15 runs.
Kenneth Waiswa was the only batter for the Cricket Cranes to reach double figures, as wickets from Tim Southee (3-4) and Mitchell Santer (2-8) in successive balls saw Uganda all out for 40.
Kane Williamson's side faced just 33 balls on their way to victory, as Devon Conway scored an unbeaten 22 from 15 balls to win the contest ahead of their final Group C fixture against the Barramundis.
Emerging Ireland secured a four-wicket win over the West Indies Academy to complete a 3-0 sweep of their 50-over series in Bready on Friday.
The tourists, after being out in to bat, were guilty of not using up their allotted overs as they were dismissed for 236 with all of seven overs to spare.
Ackeem Auguste led the way with a 68-ball 81 including 10 fours and two sixes while Joshua James hit 26* off 25 balls.
Skipper Gavin Hoey led the Irish charge with his leg-spin with 4-45 from his 10 overs while medium pacer Olly Riley took 3-38 from nine overs.
Emerging Ireland then needed only 39 overs to reach 238-6 and secure victory and a 3-0 series triumph.
Morgan Topping led the way for the hosts with 46 while Seamus Lynch hit 45* off just 28 balls including six fours and two sixes.
Chris de Freitas and Scott MacBeth also had solid contributions with 38 and 36, respectively.
Captain Nyeem Young took 3-56 from nine overs for the Academy.
The teams will now turn their attention to a pair of four-day games from June 18-21 in Comber and June 25-28 in Belfast.
The United States have qualified for the Super 8s after their T20 World Cup match with Ireland in Florida was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Only an Ireland victory over tournament co-hosts USA could have prevented the Americans' progress to the next round, but no play was possible on Friday amid a flash-flood emergency in the region.
There were multiple pitch inspections, but the umpires ultimately concluded no play was possible due to the wet outfield.
USA secured a win over Canada in the opening match of the tournament before pulling off an almighty upset to beat Pakistan, who are now eliminated because of the washout, as are Canada.
The outcome also means Ireland are out, although their hopes had already looked slim after losses to India and Canada.
India are expected to finish top of Group A, having beaten USA in their last match to secure a third successive victory.
Rohit Sharma's side will do battle with Australia, Afghanistan and a team from Group D – most likely to be Bangladesh – in the next round, though they still have one more pool match to play against Canada on Saturday.
USA are poised to enter Group 2 of the Super 8s along with fellow hosts West Indies and South Africa. The final spot in that section will be filled by either England or Scotland, depending on who progresses from Group B.
As a result of reaching the Super 8s in this competition, Monank Patel's USA team are also now guaranteed qualification to the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka.
As the group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 comes to a close, the action will move to the next chapter in the event, the Super Eights, which will see eight remaining teams battle it out for four semi-final spots.
India (Group A), Australia (Group B), Afghanistan (Group C), West Indies (Group C), and South Africa (Group D) are the five teams who have qualified for the second round thus far.
India, Australia, and Afghanistan will feature in Group 1 of the next round, whereas West Indies and South Africa will feature in Group 2.
All of these sides have been unbeaten in their respective groups, and are shaping well ahead of the next round.
The second round commences in Antigua on June 19.
The following day will see the unbeaten India and Afghanistan face-off in Barbados in what looms as a crucial fixture prior to the knockout stages of the tournament. This will also be the first occasion on this tournament that India will play a contest in the Caribbean.
The rampant Afghans will look to make amends for their close loss to Australia at last year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup when the two sides meet on June 22 in St Vincent. Back-to-back games against formidable opponents can overwhelm most sides but Rashid Khan’s team have shown an indomitable fighting spirit in the tournament thus far.
More crucial fixtures follow up in coming dates: with co-hosts West Indies taking on South Africa in their final Group 2 clash on June 23 in Antigua.
The Proteas have historically dominated the West Indies, but the tables were turned last month when the Men in Maroon swept the three-game T20I series between the two sides at home.
Another Men’s Cricket World Cup-centric encounter takes place in St Lucia, where finalists India will clash against the eventual winners Australia on June 24.
Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, and St Vincent will host all 12 games in this round.
Fixtures
19 June: A2 v South Africa, North Sound, Antigua
19 June: B1 v West Indies, Gros Islet, St Lucia
20 June: Afghanistan v India, Bridgetown, Barbados
20 June: Australia v D2, North Sound, Antigua
21 June: B1 v South Africa, Gros Islet, St Lucia
21 June: A2 v West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados
22 June: India v D2, North Sound, Antigua
22 June: Afghanistan v Australia, Arnos Vale, St Vincent
23 June: A2 v B1, Bridgetown, Barbados
23 June: West Indies v South Africa, North Sound, Antigua
24 June: Australia v India, Gros Islet, St Lucia
24 June: Afghanistan v D2, Arnos Vale, St Vincent
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