Aussies must tour England for health of cricket: Langer; Ali, Bairstow named for Ireland ODIS
Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Langer said Australia had to play its part in geting cricket moving again, even if it meant enduring quarantine, biosecurity restrictions and time away from family
Australia must tour England in September “for the health of world cricket”, and players should then be released to join the Indian Premier League (IPL), coach Justin Langer said on Thursday.
Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Langer said Australia had to play its part in geting cricket moving again, even if it meant enduring quarantine, biosecurity restrictions and time away from family.
“My personal view is we have to go. For so many reasons,” Langer told News Corp Australia.
“I think we have to go to England. There’s lots of challenges of course but we have to find solutions to make sure that can happen if possible.”
Australia’s limited-overs series scheduled for this month in England was postponed because of the coronavirus, and September has been raised as an alternative.
Cricket Australia, which has laid off 15 per cent of its staff during the pandemic, is also desperate to host a money-spinning Test series against India later this year.
“I think we have to go to England. There’s lots of challenges of course but we have to find solutions to make sure that can happen if possible. That’s my view,” Langer said.
“I think for the health of world cricket. As much as we’d like India to come over here, I think we need to reciprocate that with England if we can.”
Langer believed releasing Australia’s big names to join the IPL -- whose revised dates are yet to be announced -- was also essential as a goodwill gesture, to make sure India go ahead with their Test tour.
“I think we have to. Talking frankly,” Langer said. “I hear a different story about the IPL’S plans every few days. It varies. So until there’s some clarity and we can work out how it affects the domestic season, how it affects our players, how it works with quarantine... there’s a lot of considerations here.”
Ater months of coronavirus-enforced lockdown, international cricket resumed on Wednesday with England’s home Test against the West Indies.
Meanwhile, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow were included in a 24-man England training squad named on Thursday for the three-match one-day international series at home to Ireland.
Wicketkeeper-batsmanbairstowandoff-spinning all-rounder Mooen were let out of the squad for the first Test against the West Indies, taking place in Southampton this week.
But with England still planning to complete a full programme in a season truncated by the coronavirus shutdown, it has long been accepted they will have to field separate Test and one-day squads.
The third ODI at Southampton, the venue for all three Ireland matches, is set to take place on August 4 -- the day before England start the first of a three-test series against Pakistan at Manchester’s Old Trafford.
That means England’s white-ball team are set to be without several members of the team that beat New Zealand in last year’s World Cup final including Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
“Even with several multi-format players unavailable for the Ireland ODIS due to their Test commitments, there is real depth to England’s white-ball playing talent,” said national selector Ed Smith.
England assistant coach Paul Collingwood, the captain of the England side that won the 2010 World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, will be the head coach for the series, with former England opener Marcus Trescothick in his backroom staff.
The England one-day side will go into an onsite training camp at the Ageas Bowl on July 16, playing two intra-squad warm-up matches before the selectors pick a final team.
The series, being played behind closed doors, starts on July 30, with subsequent matches on August 1 and 4.
England also hope to play three Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan in August and September, with three T20s and three ODIS against Australia originally scheduled for July still to be re-arranged.