CA boss floats two teams idea
CRICKET Australia highperformance chief Pat Howard wants to embrace the idea of two national sides playing different formats at almost the same time.
Australia hosts Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 at Adelaide Oval on February 22, while its four-Test series against India starts in Pune on February 23.
Australia’s Test squad is likely to assemble on the subcontinent in early February, wanting a better chance to adjust to local conditions as it seeks to gain revenge for a shambolic 4-0 series loss to India in 2013.
It is the latest reminder of how jam-packed the international schedule is. But it’s far from unprecedented.
Australia’s Test stars were unavailable for home Twenty20 series against England and South Africa in 2014 because they overlapped with tours.
Earlier this year it was a one-day series in New Zealand that led to Cameron Bancroft taking the gloves on international debut at the SCG, where an understrength Australia suffered a 3-0 T20 series loss to India.
“To a certain extent I want to embrace it,” Howard said, when asked about the prospect of two Australian teams being in action almost simultaneously.
“We’ve done better and performed better when players have really lavished the opportunity, versus it being tacked on at the end of a long season.
“So there is a way to have a think about this differently to give us a better chance of winning.”
One bone of contention between Cricket Australia and its players regarding the packed schedule is the Indian Premier League.
The lucrative T20 tournament falls during players’ leave period — in April and May — with former skippers Michael Clarke and Steve Waugh suggesting it was up to players to rest when they had time off.
“There’s been continuous cricket since August 2014 through till June 2017,” Howard told radio station SEN. “The IPL is their break.”
Australia skipper Steve Smith recently defended those players who took part in the IPL.
“My game has improved significantly out of playing in the IPL and playing in those conditions,” Smith said.