Bound by idealogical shackles, next year’s World Cup hosts have often found themselves playing catch-up with the leading nations
As the Australian men’s team launched into their home summer over the weekend, powering their way to a T20 victory over Sri Lanka, one could almost hear the faint echoes of distant summers past.
A sunny afternoon. A clinic of muscular first-innings batting, personal milestones, and sympathy for the opposition bordering on mild condescension. Then the innings break, when you ask, “is there a game here?”, during which time brutish Australian quicks have already stung the bodies and claimed the wickets of hapless top-order fodder in fading light, while commentary reminds us that they “must adjust to the bounce in Australia”.
Related: Australia beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets in second Twenty20 international – as it happened
Continue reading...