Cricket icon Allan Border berates Australian cricket team for ‘dangerous’ choice no Down Under side has ever made before on an Ashes tour
- Border denies Aussie team over dangerous decision
- Australia does not play warm-up games for Ashes
- Former skipper says it’s the wrong decision
Cricket legend Allan Border has criticized Australia’s decision not to play warm-up matches for the upcoming Ashes tour, insisting the move is dangerous.
In an Ashes first, the Aussie team will not face any county side before or during the upcoming tour of England.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has scheduled the five Ashes matches over a six-week period in June and July so that the England players are available for the Hundred tournament in August.
Australia’s World Test Championship final against India on June 17 will serve as the team’s only warm-up match for the first Ashes match at Edgbaston.
Mainly due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Test squad have not played a tour match in nearly four years, and Border believe they should be given some warm-up matches.
Aussie cricket icon Allan Border is critical of Australia’s decision not to play warm-up matches for upcoming Ashes tour
Border says decision not to play county side before or during England tour is ‘fraught with danger’
“I don’t care how hard you work in the nets, nothing replaces playing time,” said Border Fox cricket.
“I’m really surprised we’re allowing the Ashes tour to be so compact with no cricket between games, but that’s the way it is.
“I get it, we have IPLs and T20s, I understand. The game has moved on. But I think there is an opportunity for us to go to England early and play a few games… just to polish things up a bit.
“It just doesn’t feel right not to play cricket leading up to an Ashes series. I just think that’s fraught with danger… there’s something gnawing at me that says it’s the wrong decision.’
Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Marcus Harris are currently playing country cricket in England and doing valuable match practice, but others like Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins haven’t played a competitive redball match in months.
Border, captain of Australia in 1989 and 1993, is disappointed that touring matches are no longer a priority.
“We played two three-day matches between the test matches and we played the day after the test match,” Border explains.
“It was a pretty full schedule — but nobody died, nobody got hurt. Everyone enjoyed.
Some players, like Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins (pictured) haven’t played a competitive red-ball game in months
Border, captain of Australia in 1989 and 1993, is disappointed that valuable tour matches are no longer a priority due to a crowded cricket calendar
‘It was fantastic. You could rest guys, you could give guys chances to get back into shape…it worked really well.
“We’ve been gone for four months. They just don’t do that these days.’
Australian spinner Nathan Lyon supported the team’s decision not to schedule tour matches in England, saying most of the side had previously played Test cricket there.
“When are we going to fit it in?” Lyon asked.
“If you look at the schedule, if a couple of guys make it to the IPL final, they won’t arrive in England until five days before the World Test Championship final.
Nathan Lyon defended the team’s decision not to schedule local tour matches in England, arguing there’s simply no time left to fit them in
“So it’s pretty hard to schedule a tour match these days. I’m not exactly sure when to do it. It makes no sense that we only play with seven players against a provincial side.
“The players are now extremely professional, everyone is doing the job. There are a lot of internet sessions going on here in Australia.
“Yes, we understand it’s not a game drill or anything like that, but it’s not like we’re twiddling our thumbs at home. We’re doing the job and I know we’ll be ready.”