AUS vs SCO: "I'm sure they will..." - Matthew Mott reacts to Josh Hazlewood's remarks on eliminating England from T20 World Cup 2024

England coach Matthew Mott has reacted to Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood's remarks about aiming for a close victory over Scotland to eliminate England from the T20 World Cup 2024. Matthew Mott hoped that Josh Hazlewood's remarks were not serious, stating that Australia would play to win every game.

The Jos Buttler-led team's T20 World Cup opener against Scotland was abandoned due to rain. The England team lost to Australia by 36 runs in their second match. The defending champions must win their remaining two matches and surpass Scotland's net run rate (NRR) to stay in the race for a Super 8 berth.

The Mitchell Marsh-led team qualified for the Super 8s from Group B. Scotland is in second place with 5 points and a net run rate of +2.164. Namibia and Oman are already eliminated from the tournament. The England cricket team will face Oman and Namibia in their upcoming matches in the marquee T20 tournament.

Hoping It Was Very Much Tongue-In-Cheek - Matthew Mott

After Australia's victory against Namibia, Josh Hazlewood stated that it was in their best interests to eliminate England from the tournament early. The New South Wales bowler mentioned that Australia's historical challenges against England in T20 cricket are the reason behind this strategic preference.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Matthew Mott hoped Josh Hazlewood's comment was merely tongue-in-cheek. Mott expressed confidence that Australia will take every match seriously and show their competitive spirit.

"Having grown up in Australia and the will to win every game, I am sure they will come to the fore. I am very much hoping it was an off-hand remark by a really good bloke who is having fun. Knowing Josh, he has got a pretty dry sense of humor. I am hoping it was very much tongue-in-cheek," Mott told BBC Sport.

Can Still Chase The Score Late And Get England Out - Tim Paine

However, former Australia Test skipper Tim Paine backed the idea of potentially knocking out a strong team like England from the tournament. Paine suggested that Australia should allow Scotland to get close enough to achieve their strategic goal without compromising the match outcome.

"Who is likely to pose a threat in the latter rounds? It is England. If you have a chance to knock out one of the fancied teams in the tournament, do it in a way that's not bad by deliberately losing a game," Paine told SEN Cricket.

Australia will face Scotland in their final group stage match at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia on June 15, Saturday. Captain Mitchell Marsh could potentially face a ban of up to two matches if there is any attempt by his team to hinder England's chances of advancing to the Super 8 stage.

The ICC's Code of Conduct includes Article 2.11, which prohibits match manipulation for strategic or tactical reasons, such as deliberately losing a pool match to impact the standings of other teams in the tournament. Marsh could also be fined a minimum of 50 percent of his match fee for this Level 2 offense.

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