Aussies look to face each other before Ashes

AUSTRALIA would prefer to square off against its own players than risk sabotage by a substandard English team in the lead-up to next year’s Ashes.

In farcical scenes in Dubai, Tim Paine’s side will today try to prepare for next week’s first Test against Pakistan by taking on a Pakistan A team which is deliberately fielding no spinners. It will rob Australia’s new-look batting line-up of a crucial opportunity to get their eye in against spin before they’re bombarded by Pakistan’s slow bowlers on a Dubai deck that so embarrassed the touring side four years ago led by Michael Clarke.

However, as planning is finalised for next year’s Ashes, Australia is looking to take foul play out of the equation by turning its back on the traditional warm-up against an English County side.

It’s understood Australia is considering playing its pre-series tour match against Australia A ahead of the first Test at Edgbaston on August 1.

Matthew Hayden and Glenn McGrath were embroiled in a fiery physical exchange back in the mid-1990s when the Australia v Australia A concept was last in vogue. Hayden took exception to McGrath accidentally sticking an elbow in his path as he ran between wickets and the pair traded expletives. Australia would not want emotions spilling over to that level, but would need the Australia A clash to be ultra-competitive.

There is less than two weeks between the World Cup final at Lord’s and the first Ashes Test, so if Australia goes deep into the tournament, it will have limited preparation time.

The last couple of Ashes tours, county teams have tended to rest players for matches against Australia.