Former Australian Cricket captain Allan Border. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Questioning Australia’s decision to not play any warm-up games ahead of the World Test Championship final in opposition to India and the Ashes sequence, former captain Allan Border stated the transfer is “fraught with danger”.
The WTC final is scheduled to be held at The Oval in London from June 7-11, following which Australia will tackle arch-rivals England within the five-match Ashes from June 16 to July 31.
The Australian staff will put together for the six Tests by present process a high-intensity coaching camp in Beckenham, that includes centre-wicket observe and web periods. “I don’t care how hard you work in the nets, nothing replaces game time,” Border instructed ‘ Fox Cricket‘.
“It just doesn’t feel right not to play any cricket leading into an Ashes series. I just think that’s fraught with danger… there’s something gnawing at me saying it’s the wrong decision,” he added.
The Indian staff too will not play any warm-up recreation because the English County Championship is on and in addition the WTC being an ICC occasion, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is beneath no obligation to organize observe matches for the visiting groups.
However, will probably be the primary time in Ashes historical past that the boys from ‘Down Under’ will not face any native county sides earlier than or throughout this winter’s tour of England. Even earlier than the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India earlier this yr, Australia had opted for simulation coaching as an alternative of enjoying warm-up games. The guests had ended up dropping the fixture 1-2.
“I’m really surprised we’re just allowing the Ashes tour to be so condensed with no cricket between the games, but that’s the way it is. I get it, we’ve got IPLs and T20s, I understand. The game’s moved on. But I think there’s an opportunity there for us to go to England early and play a couple of games… just to polish things off a bit,” Border added.
To guarantee England’s Test gamers can be found for The Hundred match, which is slated to start early August, the ECB has crammed the Ashes right into a six-week window.
While the likes of Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Marcus Harris have been enjoying the County Championship, these gamers in India will head to England after wrapping up their IPL stints.
The different members of Australia’s Test squad have lately accomplished a three-day coaching camp in Brisbane and can head to England later this week.
