T20 World Cup: Australia and England players to share plane after final
What could be worse for England than an Aussie win in the T20 World Cup final? Being stuck in the middle of celebrations for hours with no way out.
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England is facing the ultimate cruelty should Australia win the World Cup — forced to fly out to the Ashes on the same plane as their celebrating arch-enemies.
In the interests of safeguarding against infection before they start their quarantine stint in Queensland, the England stars and coaches knocked out of the World Cup in last Wednesday’s semi-final by New Zealand, have had to wait around in Dubai to take the same charter flight to Brisbane as the Aussies.
Should the Black Caps beat Australia, it will be long faces all around on the 14-hour flight on Monday night.
But if Australia lifts the Twenty20 World Cup trophy for the first time in their history, England stars Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes and coach Chris Silverwood won’t know where to look.
Australia take on New Zealand in the ICC T20 World Cup final on Monday (1am AEDT) on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today.
Trying to sleep while the Australians are enjoying a jubilant beer on the plane to Brisbane would be a bitter pill to swallow.
A host of Australia’s World Cup linchpins led by Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith and David Warner are part of the Ashes XI, with the likes of Mitchell Marsh and Mitchell Swepson hoping to join them.
Although there is no comparison between Twenty20 and Test cricket, there is a wave of confidence Australia could ride all the way from the World Cup to the Ashes if successful against New Zealand.
England used a one-day series in 2005 to gain a psychological edge over Australia leading into their famous Ashes rout, and momentum is a force that can’t be underestimated in world cricket.
That said, Australia overcame chastening elimination by eventual champions England in the 2019 ODI World Cup to retain the Ashes series which followed, also on UK soil.
There is no shame for England in their Twenty20 World Cup, playing brilliant cricket right up until their last two matches when they beaten by South Africa and New Zealand – and they will also be boosted by the addition of superstar Ben Stokes for the Ashes.
But a plane ride with a World Cup winning Australian side would be torture nonetheless.
MR UNSACKABLE? AUSSIE’S BIZARRE COURSE TO FINAL
Robert Craddock
They say never waste a good crisis and Australia has lived by the creed to plot the most bizarre course to T20 World Cup glory.
Australia had a torrid off-season but the lancing of tension between coach Justin Langer and his players might just have been the biggest play of all.
Had there not been some confronting team meetings where Langer promised to change his ways major tension could have lingered all the way through the Cup campaign and to the Ashes.
Australia take on New Zealand in the ICC T20 World Cup final on Monday (1am AEDT) on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today.
Langer was taken aback by the unrest and admits the last six months have been humbling as he had to find ways of toning down his intensity.
Once trust is broken it can be nigh impossible to repair and team tension can rise and fall by the week. But the word from the UAE is that things have been much better than they were.
Langer, as he was requested to do, has been delegating authority to the point where he has deliberately skipped some training sessions to allow his support staff to step up, moves which would not have happened a year ago.
Langer’s future has now become the most fascinating issue in Australian cricket entering the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand.
If Australia wins the World Cup and the Ashes, Langer will go from Mr Vulnerable to Mr Well Credentialed.
Mr Unsackable? Not quite but very close to it and good luck explaining it if you make the big call.
His contract also included the end of season Test tour of Pakistan and if he won there it would be another gold stud.
A couple of months ago it seemed Langer would be lucky to get to the World Cup, never mind the Ashes.
Langer hinted to News Corp last month he would like to stay on as coach when his four year term expires early next year.
His future is not entirely in his own hands.
Australia may decide a four year term is enough for any coach and it is time for a fresh voice. But if he is committed to staying on it is a very interesting discussion.
It’s unusual but not unprecedented for a coach to rise from the murky depths. Langer’s mentor John Buchanan did it 16 years ago.
When Australia held a review after losing the 2005 Ashes the knives were out for Buchanan and it took the support of a couple of senior players, including captain Ricky Ponting to save him.
Buchanan went on to preside over a 5-0 Ashes series win in 2006-07 then an undefeated run through the 2007 World Cup before leaving.
Observers who say Australia’s World Cup fortunes are not related to the Ashes have underestimated the joy it will bring the coaches and players which surely has to be a unifying force before the summer.
Langer and the selectors held their nerve and backed the return of their best players who were absent on the recent tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh.
The panel were under heavy pressure to promote Josh Inglis instead of Matthew Wade but they had a gut feeling that Wade’s fearless zest for the contest may hold him and them in good stead when the high pressure matches arrived at the end of the tournament. And so it proved.
They also conceded they made a mistake by dropping Mitchell Marsh for Ashton Agar but quickly changed course and reinstated Marsh who has repaid their faith.
If Australia wins the tournament it will be with an unusual formula … three outstanding fast bowlers and just one specialist spinner in a region where spinners are often kings
Hayden’s Pakistan gig delivers shock call on Aussie coaching
Matthew Hayden received a knock on his hotel door in Dubai and in walked a man with a Koran.
“It was Rizzy (Pakistan’s batsman-keeper Mohammad Rizwan) and I have to say it was a beautiful moment I will never forget,’’ former Test opener Hayden told News Corp.
“I am curious about Islam even though I am a Christian. One follows Christ and the other Muhammad and in a sense never shall meet but he presented me with an English version of the Koran (the sacred book of Islam).
“We sat on the floor for half an hour and talked through it. I am reading a bit of it each day. Rizzy is one of my favourite individuals, a champion human being.’’
Mark it down as one of many off-beat experiences Hayden has experienced since joining the Pakistan cricket team as batting coach for the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
With five easy pool wins entering this week’s semi-final against Australia, Pakistan are flying and Hayden feels he is learning as much as he is teaching.
He has been taken aback by the lack of pretence in the team, from their modest reaction to victories to a collective lack of ego and willingness to learn.
“I really sense in Australia and a lot of the developed nations we are so over coached. Coached that there is only one way. These guys are just raw talent. (Fast bowler) Harris Rauf said to me the first ball he had played with was in club cricket in Western Sydney — he had only played tennis ball with a taped ball in Pakistan.’’
Rauf was one of 20,000 youngsters once given three balls to audition for the Lahore Qalanders T20 team. When his first ball clocked 140kmh he was instantly invited back and surged through the system like a lightning bolt.
“Another of the young quicks grew up on a farm where they grew dates and legumes. It’s not like he was playing in a local grade competition. They get picked on raw ability. That is why they are so open to different ideas.
“Everything is an opportunity for them so that is beautiful for me to work with because you feel as if you have their ear. They have no sense of entitlement or privilege. It is all just upside. So special.’’
Having played against them for a decade at international level, Hayden had a well entrenched view that Pakistan were a flighty and fragile team. Then he entered camp to find a squad that is anything but.
“We always thought Pakistan teams were very emotional and extremely volatile. When Inzamam-ul-Haq used to bat cover and cover point would be licking their chops ready for a run out. We felt from outside Pakistan could be picked apart one by one or targeted like I did with Shoaib Akhtar.
“But I was taken aback how neutral and humble these guys are. How everything is just meant to be.
“It has been great fun. They are really coachable athletes as well.
“It stems from a deep sense of spirituality. As a westerner you don’t realise the implications of having that commitment and faith.
“Even their salat — their five different prayer session a day. You can be outside a lift or even in a lift and if it is time for salat that is what happens. These guys connect at a higher level. It’s not like “how ya going today mate?
“We have the Ashes but nothing rivals India versus Pakistan — it basically involved a quarter of the world’s population. A lot rides on it. If they lose to each other the pressure comes from everywhere. We saw that with India.’’
Hayden said when he first joined the squad he tread carefully.
“I just didn’t want it to be like a crime scene out of Scooby Doo and be that meddling person who comes in on the fringes and starts to cause trouble.’’
Slowly the connections grew such as his bond with captain Babar Azam.
“Babar is a fine player with great hands. He has the ability to be able to be still in his mind. He came to me last night and said ‘how do you think I am going coach?’ what are the messages I should be getting across at this stage. He is very open and coachable. I am a cricket nuffy so I have enjoyed every bit of it.’’
Hayden v Langer: Old mates in ‘bloody strange’ fight
Matthew Hayden reckons he and Justin Langer will be like two balls of mercury on a plate when they face off in the World Cup semi-final.
As in, you just know they are going to come together at some stage.
Langer is coaching Australia while his long-time opening batting partner Hayden is Pakistan’s batting coach.
“It is a very unusual circumstance,’’ Hayden told News Corp from the UAE.
“You have gone to war with your little brother for 25 years, plotting the downfall of rival nations and here you in a coaching sense against each other. It does seem bloody strange.’’
Hayden said there was no chance of him ignoring Langer if their paths crossed on match day.
“It will be like two balls of mercury on the one plate. They will always find a way of coming together. My coaching style and my style in life is to have that connection. Once you step across that white line its game on. But Justin and I don’t have to do that. I have never met a coach who has won a game of cricket.
“There is obviously no exchange of information between us but there is deep respect and that won’t change.
“But one of the thing we have seen in this tournament through the combination of an uplifting IPL experience is that we have seen nations become a lot closer.
“The spirit of cricket has been fantastic in this tournament. Little things like the mark of respect by Australia for (retiring West Indians) Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle. That’s brilliant. Pakistan went into the Namibia change rooms the other day.
“There seems to be a bit of coming back in to that space. Maybe the bubbles have influenced it as well. People are actually looking to communicate. There is less to do and you actually experience more because of it.’’
Hayden has been a staunch defender of Langer’s following rumours of player unrest.
“I obviously want to see JL do well. I have always felt there is way too much conversation about the coaching staff. But at the end of the day if Davey Warner doesn’t get Australia off to a good start is that Justin Langer’s fault. I know that the coach is always accountable but gee.’’
Moral hypocrites England decide tons are anti-cricket
The new tough-talking, pot-stirring English cricket team is suffering from a baffling identity crisis on the eve of the Ashes tour, going into meltdown after two Indian batters had the audacity to tell them ‘no’.
England’s appalling display mars absolute Test classic
England’s display in the Test classic against India was appalling, and unsportsmanlike, writes Peter Jenkins. It just makes the upcoming Ashes more appealing.