Former speedster Shaun Tait believes Australia’s previous World Cup successes will play big role in semi-final against England
England is yet to win a World Cup, while Australia has claimed five and ex-Aussie speedster Shaun Tait reckons that will not only count for plenty in Thursday’s semi-final, it will concern the hosts.
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Former star speedster Shaun Tait says England won’t confirm it publicly, but their players will be worried Australia’s winning cricket World Cup experience will influence their semi-final at Edgbaston on Thursday.
Australia has won five of the 11 editions of the tournament, including the previous one in 2015 with seven members of the 2019 squad, as well as a hat-trick of triumphs in 1999, 2003 and 2007, while England is yet to claim the 50-over crown.
Tait, who starred with the ball during the 2007 World Cup run, agreed with South African captain Faf du Plessis’ comments this week that the confidence the Aussies had from their other successes was like having an extra player.
“You probably look at England and go ‘they’re probably the better team’ but I think when you get to a semi of a World Cup, things change,” said Tait, the newly appointed coach of grade club Adelaide.
“I think that’s the thing Australia’s got on their side … they’ve got that edge because they’ve done it before and they’re proven.
“That’ll be in the back of the Poms’ mind a little bit – ‘this team knows how to win and this country knows how to win big events’.
“There’s no way the English will ever, ever admit that but they do (have concerns about Australia’s winning experience), there’s no doubt.
“You’ve got the South African captain coming out and saying it so you know it’s alive and well.”
Tait said when he joined the 2007 World Cup squad, he felt how the 1999 and 2003 triumphs gave the group added belief, and it went through the competition unbeaten.
“I’ve never played in a team where you just knew you weren’t going to lose,” he said.
“You can play four years of cricket and be a bit up and down in your one-day cricket then you get to a World Cup and Australia are so good.”
Tait believed Australia had “done a bloody good job from where they came a year ago” to get into this position.
The Aussies lost seven successive One-Day Internationals before triumphing over South Africa in November and were without a 50-over series victory for two years until March.
Tait said the team needed to continue playing with “controlled aggression and good presence” to overcome England and reach another final.
“They’re not carrying on too much like they have been accused of the last couple of years, they’re keeping it under wraps, but I still think they’ve got that good edge about them, which we need to keep,” he said.
“You can’t lose that edge because that won a lot of tournaments for us over the years.”
Tait struggled to fathom it had been 12 years since his own World Cup exploits, which included finishing with the equal second-most wickets (27 at 20.3) and taking 4/39 in the semi-final against South Africa.
He regarded winning that tournament as the highlight of his career.
“It doesn’t seem that long ago but it was just a great experience,” said Tait, who also played three Tests, 35 ODIs and 21 Twenty20s for Australia.
“I saw something the other night, a video online and Punter (Ponting) was talking about the 2007 World Cup and they showed videos of training, and it sent shivers down my spine.”