NEW DELHI: Australia's campaign in the World Cup received a significant boost as skipper Pat Cummins announced that the explosive all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is "all clear" and available for the much-anticipated semi-final clash against South Africa. Maxwell had left an indelible mark on the tournament by scoring a scintillating double century against Afghanistan, despite battling cramps and severe pain.
"Glenn Maxwell is all clear. He is all good. He was a little bit sore yesterday (Tuesday). Yeah, we get scans a lot of the time just to make sure that if there is something, we know what we're dealing with, and fortunately, it came back all okay. So he's fine," reassured Cummins during the pre-match press conference.
The Australian captain maintained an air of suspense regarding the final playing XI, indicating that the announcement would be made at the toss on Thursday. The crucial decision between including Marnus Labuschagne or Marcus Stoinis will be unveiled just before the start of the knockout encounter against South Africa.
Concerns surrounding the pitch conditions at the Wankhede Stadium had surfaced, with speculation that the host nation, India, might be manipulating the playing surface for their World Cup campaign. Cummins, however, dismissed such notions, emphasising the presence of an independent pitch curator appointed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
"Obviously the ICC has an independent pitch curator who manages that. I'm sure they are all over making sure it's fair to both teams. So far in this tournament that we've played on, I haven't seen any issues," assured Cummins, putting to rest any concerns about pitch manipulation.
Reflecting on his own journey in the World Cup, Cummins expressed a desire to savour a potential World Cup-winning moment, highlighting that despite being part of the squad in the 2015 edition, he did not play in the final. The 2015 World Cup victory, where Australia emerged triumphant by defeating New Zealand at the MCG, holds a special place in Cummins' career.
"I'd still say that the 2015 World Cup was my career highlight, and I wasn't playing," reminisced Cummins. "But it was just the most magic moment. MCG, packed house, the whole of Australia behind us, winning a World Cup, which is rare. You only get a chance every four years, so if I'm in the playing XI (on Thursday) and we win, that might be that 2015 World Cup," he added, expressing his eagerness for a potential repeat of the historic moment.
(With inputs from PTI)
