World Cup: Australia coach McDonald reveals team meeting which turned things around

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has lifted the lid on the team meeting that eventually turned things around and culminated in the Aussies winning the World Cup.

In the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Australia clinched their sixth title, overcoming a rocky start with two initial losses to India and South Africa.

The team rebounded spectacularly, winning nine consecutive matches, including a final victory over India, where Travis Head’s 137 runs played a pivotal role. Despite early setbacks, such as Travis Head’s injury and other players’ form concerns, Australia’s squad, led by Pat Cummins and featuring stalwarts like David Warner, demonstrated resilience and strategic prowess.

McDonald opened up on the team meeting after their loss to South Africa. The Aussie coach said that the team came together to reinforce the idea that they were on the right track despite the losses. McDonald revealed that the team wasn’t ready to throw the ‘baby out with the bath water’ and wanted to get moving after the two losses.

“There was a get-together post-game (after the South Africa loss),” McDonald revealed on SEN Whateley. “But once again, that was really just to reinforce that we were on the right path. “It was about, ‘Let’s stick to it and believe in what we’ve set out to achieve’, and that it will come to fruition eventually, albeit it didn’t in the first couple of games.

“It was really doubling down. I think we’ve had moments like that when we were 0-2 in India in the Test series as well and you bring the group together and it’s really just reiterating what you set out in the first place.” “If you start to pivot at that point in time, I think that can create panic within a group.”

“It also means that potentially your planning has been well off and at 0-2 in a nine-match World Cup â€æ it’s not the time to start throwing the baby out with the bath water.”

“It was just a time to say, ‘Ok, let’s get moving’.”