Mercury (Hobart)

Tour game loses lustre

- BRETTRETT BR SSTSTUBBS T

TTASMANIA’SASMAAAN only long-form ininternat­ionalntern­attiio game of the summmermer has llost first-class status.

The CCricket Australia XI v SrSriri LanLankank­k three-day game at BBlBlundst­onelundsst­ooon Arena was to be a bbabat-at-offfff bbetween the likes of Testest s squad Marnus members Labuschang­e, Joe BBurns, MMatt RReRenshaw­e and young gun WWill PPuPucovsk­i under match cconditico­nditions.ditii

WitWith Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja and Travis Head aappearing locked for the fifirstt TTest at the Gabba starting on January 24, only three places are up for grab between the four aspirants.

However, the game has now lost its first-class status with the tourists electing to play more than 12 players across the three days of the pink ball game. Cricket Tasmania chief executive Nick Cummins said he was not surprised by the decision.

“We are not disappoint­ed, talking to the CA bowlers they are still going to treat it like a first-class game and go as hard as they can,” Cummins said.

The Indians did this as well in their only tour game ahead of the victorious Test series against Australia, but that Australian side contained very few first-class players and none in the Test squad.

Aside from the one-day internatio­nal in November against South Africa, the match is Tasmania’s only taste of internatio­nal cricket after losing its Test to Canberra.

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