Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood acknowledged that it would be advantageous for Australia if England were eliminated during the T20 World Cup's group stage.
Australia has already secured their place in the Super 8s with a dominant nine-wicket victory over Namibia, leaving England and Scotland to contend for the remaining spot from Group B.
For Jos Buttler's England side to progress, they must win against Oman on Thursday (20:00 BST) and Namibia on Saturday (18:00 BST). Even then, their advancement might hinge on net run rate calculations.
Australia, scheduled to play Scotland at 01:30 BST on Sunday, could play a decisive role in determining who advances from Group B. If Scotland wins, they would move forward, eliminating England. Given Scotland's superior net run rate, even a narrow victory for Australia might suffice to knock England out of the tournament.
When asked if Australia might complicate matters for England, Hazlewood confirmed that it would likely be in their best interest. He suggested that since Australia might face England later in the tournament, eliminating a strong competitor early would be beneficial. Hazlewood noted that Australia has struggled against England in T20 matches, so removing them from contention would be advantageous for Australia and perhaps for others as well.
Australia has won all three of their games in the tournament, including a decisive 36-run victory over England. They needed only 34 balls to chase down Namibia's total of 72 in their latest match on Tuesday.
However, Hazlewood hinted that Australia might take a more deliberate approach against Scotland if it offers a chance to eliminate England from the tournament. He mentioned that although there are a few strategies they could consider, the team might prioritise gaining confidence from a strong win rather than focusing solely on knocking out England.
With their place in the Super 8s secured and a busier schedule ahead, Hazlewood mentioned that Australia might rest some players for the Scotland match. The decision would be left to the coaches, captain, and selectors. He noted that many of the players have been active in the Indian Premier League (IPL), so resting a few might be considered, although the tournament schedule has not been overly demanding with games every three or four days.
Hazlewood concluded by saying that while Australia still has one group match remaining, they can afford to relax a bit over the next few days and recharge before the more challenging Super 8s stage.