The 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup winners Australia had to seek the services of chief selector Geroge Bailey, and fielding coach Andre Borovec to win their first T20 World Cup warm-up game against Namibia by seven wickets.
Notably, Mitchell Marsh's Australia only have nine players from their original T20 World Cup squad available at the moment and hence Bailey, Borovec, batting coach Brad Hodge and head coach Andrew McDonald had to step onto the field to help the Aussies in their World Cup preparations.
Borovec, aged 46, kept wickets during his playing days for Geelong in Victorian Premier Cricket. He not only showcased agility on the field of play but also hung onto a catch to delight his players.
Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Pat Cummins and Travis Head are currently in Australia, enjoying a brief break after spending more than two months in the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Meanwhile, the game turned out to be a one-sided affair as the Kangaroos made mincemeat of Namibia, chasing 120 down in just 10 overs.
Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa were the stars for Australia with the ball in hand. Zampa bagged figures of 3/25 whereas Hazlewood picked up 2/5 in his four-overs spell to leave Namibia dazed.
Though skipper Mitchell Marsh failed to make the most out of the opportunity, David Warner (54* off 21 balls) and Tim David (23 off 16 balls) launched an onslaught on Namibia's bowling attack and made light work of the target.
Australia's squad:
Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Australia's Group stage fixtures
- June 6: v Oman, Kensington Oval, Barbados
- June 9: v England, Kensington Oval, Barbados
- June 12: v Namibia, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
- June 16: v Scotland, Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia
