T20 World Cup 2024 matches on 6 June: Australia, Pakistan get campaigns underway

Former champions Australia and Pakistan will get their respective campaigns underway in the T20 World Cup on 6 June (Thursday). Australia will get things underway against Oman while Pakistan face tournament co-hosts USA. The third match on the day will see Papua New Guinea take on Uganda.

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The fifth day of matches in the T20 World Cup will start with PNG vs Uganda at the Guyana National Stadium. An hour later, Australia vs Oman will kick off at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. Larer in the day, USA will look to collect their second win of the tournament against Pakistan at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.

PNG vs Uganda

In the first match of the day for the Indian audience, Papua New Guinea faces off against Uganda. PNG displayed a strong performance against the West Indies, putting the two-time champions under significant pressure with their bowlers.

Despite their loss, the Assad Valal-led team remain optimistic about their chances in the upcoming clash.

On the other hand, Uganda, making their T20 World Cup debut, suffered a 125-run defeat to Afghanistan in their first match.

Uganda’s bowlers, led by captain Brian Masaba, demonstrated resilience, their batsmen capitulated, and their fielding was notably deficient.

Papua New Guinea vs Uganda at Guyana National Stadium, Guyana at 5 AM IST

Australia vs Oman

Searing left-arm pace, pinpoint accurate yorkers and unplayable in-swing …. Coming soon to the #T20WorldCup 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/eDcATaKb2Z

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 5, 2024

Australia, already the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup winners, would take aim at holding all three world titles simultaneously as they begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Oman. The Aussies will lean on their vast experience, with several seasoned players gearing up for their last few matches.

The T20 trophy eluded Australia for a long time but the breakthrough arrived in 2021 and it has changed the narrative. However, their journey the following year on home soil ended in disappointment as they failed to advance past the group stage.

Australia’s squad is packed with match-winners, led by Mitchell Marsh, who will be a crucial figure at No. 3. Travis Head’s recent exceptional form, evident in his standout performances in the WTC final and ODI World Cup final, adds to their strength.

In the group stage, Australia may explore different combinations to determine their best XI. Spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar are expected to play vital roles, while the pace attack will be spearheaded by Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood.

On the other hand, Oman’s loss in their opening game against Namibia highlighted the need for their batsmen to step up and support their commendable bowling effort, especially if they aim to cause an upset.

Australia vs Oman at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados at 6 AM IST

Pakistan vs USA

Pakistan, the runners-up from the last edition, will face co-hosts USA in their first match of the tournament. Led by Babar Azam, Pakistan appear to be the clear favourites on paper but their recent form indicates that the match may not be an easy win.

Pakistan faced setbacks with a T20I loss in Ireland and a 2-0 defeat in England just before the global event. Prior to this, they had a 2-2 draw at home against a New Zealand team missing key World Cup squad members.

The lead-up to the tournament has been turbulent, marked by changes in captaincy, top-order shuffles, and players coming out of retirement. Azam was reinstated as captain after Shaheen Afridi briefly held the T20 captaincy. Afridi was later offered the vice-captaincy, which he declined.

While Babar and Mohammad Rizwan have been consistent performers for Pakistan in T20s, concerns have been raised about their strike rates as they have struggled to accelerate when needed.

Pakistan’s strength lies in their unpredictability; they have the ability to surprise opponents or falter unexpectedly. The team will heavily rely on their formidable pace attack, featuring Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Amir, who returned from retirement.

On the other hand, USA will enter the match with confidence following their convincing seven-wicket victory over Canada in the tournament opener.

USA vs Pakistan at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas at 9 PM IST