T20 WC: Luggage lost, flight delayed - IPL bound-Aussie players face challenges upon landing in Caribbean

IPL Playoffs-bound Australian players, including Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell, are unhappy with the logistics failure upon their arrival in Barbados for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Following the IPL 2024 Final on May 26, the said players flew to Australia to rest before flying to the Caribbean for the 20-team tournament. Their journey, however, wasn’t the smoothest.

As per the latest reports, Cummins spent more than two days in transit from Sydney and the Caribbean, with his wife Becky revealing that they even lost their luggage along the way. Cummins is said to have received his cricket kit by now.

On the other hand, Maxwell and Starc also came across different challenges, as the pair had to spend two nights in the US (one in Los Angeles and the other in Miami) due to their flight delays. Moreover, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis couldn’t play the warm-up tie against the West Indies in Trinidad since his cricket gear failed to reach on time.

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While most players feel drained with continuous travel and the issues that come with it, the feel-good factor is still intact in the squad, said the left-arm spinner Ashton Agar.

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Agar said spending time on perhaps the most beautiful coastline on the island on Saturday helped calm the waters in the Aussie camp.

"A lot of the boys are coming off a long time in India in the IPL, maybe 48 hours at home for a couple of them, so to do something like that is so refreshing," Agar said, as quoted by Cricket Australia.

"I think mentally, once you've done that, you go into the sessions ready to go because you've already enjoyed what the Caribbean has to offer."

"We were sitting on the roof of the catamaran as we were coming back last night, and 'Stoin' (Stoinis) actually mentioned that, 'I don't know if many other teams would be like this,” he added.

'Australia ready for another title'

Meanwhile, Australia have tasted success in each ICC event since the last T20 World Cup at home in 2022. With the settled squad at the helm that is also aware of the conditions, Agar feels the team is ready for the surprises coming their way, if any.

"Getting them hitting to the side the wind is not going to is going to be really important," Agar said. "There's been a lot of weather around so I imagine it's going to be windy every day here in Barbados. The good thing is we won't be surprised."

Meanwhile, Australia is placed in Group B alongside England, Scotland, Oman and Namibia. The 2021 champions will open their campaign against Oman on June 5.

(With inputs from agencies)