Reigning TEST and ODI World Champions, Australia look to cement the T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eights berth against Namibia at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua on June 12 at 06:00 AM IST. They played a warm-up game a couple of weeks ago. Australia performed exceptionally well in their recent match against defending champs England, putting up a massive score before successfully defending against a strong batting lineup. The victory certainly left a strong impression on Coach McDonald, who noted that it aligned perfectly with the coaching staff's plans.

Reigning TEST And ODI World Champions Australia Chase The 'Q' Against Namibia

A dominant display against defending champs England has left Mitchell Marsh's team sitting comfortably in the T20 World Cup points table. Smooth-sailing Australia will look to seal the 'Q' with a win against Namibia at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua on June 12 at 06:00 AM IST. Namibia has shown plenty of signs that they belong at a global tournament despite their poor world ranking of 14 in the T20Is. Experienced pair Wiese and Trumpelmann showed their class in a victory in the Super Over against Oman, marking the country's first win in the main stage of a T20 World Cup. However, Namibia fell short against Scotland, only scoring 159 runs, which the Scottish side chased down with nine balls to spare. Talking about the T20 World Cup winners list, many former T20 World Cup champions have struggled in this tournament so far.

Talking about the Super Eight qualification scenario, the hopes of England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are hanging by the barest of margins as the so-called 'big' teams have started poorly. But Australia, except for their slight stumble early on against Oman, are progressing well following their impressive performance against England in Barbados. If they win against Namibia, they will confirm their progression to the Super Eights before their final group fixture with Scotland. The game against Scotland could be very significant, so they will want to ensure they don't leave anything to chance. A change of venue from Bridgetown to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua will require adjusting to the new conditions. However, there are very few weaknesses in Mitchell Marsh's team and a strong bench depth.

AUS vs NAM Match 24: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua Weather and Pitch Report

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is one of the few venues in the West Indies where there is a negligible difference between the economy rates of the spinners and the quicks. Most grounds heavily favour slower bowlers, but quicks have an excellent record in Antigua, home of legendary fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose. Australia and Namibia have never played a T20 match at the ground, which was constructed for the 2007 ODI World Cup.

Australia's previous game at the Antigua was the drawn second Test in 2008, and they also played a couple of ODIs there the year before. The early signs from Antigua's first ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 match suggested it could be a high-scoring venue, as Scotland swiftly reached their target against Oman. The breeze could be a significant factor at this venue. The forecast predicts cloudy conditions with no chance of rain.

Predicted Australia Playing XI

Australia welcomed Pat Cummins back into their XI for the victory over England, and he appears to be a much improved T20 bowler following his successful stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 season. Reserve players Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short have now joined the squad. However, they can only play in the event of a tournament-ending injury to one of the main squad members. Head coach Andrew McDonald said Australia would be looking pretty close ahead and would pick their best XI rather than rotate players for this game. However, that could come against Scotland should qualification be assured. However, given the tight schedule, he left the door open to manage the quicks.

AUS Playing XI

David Warner, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh (C), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (WK), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (C), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (WK), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Ashton Agar, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short.

Predicted Namibia Playing XI

Namibia lost their captain Jan Loftie-Eaton on the eve of the tournament after he was removed from his position due to disciplinary issues. Star allrounder Gerhard Erasmus has taken charge and is one of Namibia's most important players, batting in the top order and regularly bowling his four overs. They will also rely heavily on former South Africa international David Wiese and local hero fast bowler Ruben Trumpelmann. Namibia has made one change, with JP Kotze replacing Michael van Lingen. Both players have been dismissed for a duck in the first over. The team's balance has been affected by Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit's inability to bowl.

NAM Playing XI

JP Kotze, Niko Davin, Jan Frylinck, Gerhard Erasmus (C), Malan Kruger, Zane Green (WK), David Wiese, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit, Bernard Scholtz, Tangeni Lungameni

Michael van Lingen, Nikolaas Davin, Jan Frylinck, Malan Kruger, JP Kotze (WK), Zane Green (WK), David Wiese, Gerhard Erasmus (C), JJ Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz, Tangeni Lungameni, Ben Shikongo, Dylan Leicher, Peter-Daniel Blignaut, Jack Brassell.