Players prefer tests in SA, not T20s in NZ, ACA says
CRICKET
MELBOURNE: The Australian Cricketers’ Association says players will commit to test matches in South Africa ahead of the easier route of playing twenty20 cricket in New Zealand.
Sean Abbott yesterday became the latest player to declare his preference was test cricket, even if it meant warming the bench rather than playing.
Despite the country battling a contagious new strain of coronavirus, Cricket South Africa is looking increasingly likely to host Australia for three tests in March.
That had at one stage looked likely to present tired multiformatted players with a tantalising option of chosing whiteball cricket, with both tours run at the same time.
While the fivematch T20 series in New Zealand will not require quarantine on return, players in South Africa will be in a hard bubble for around a month before a fortnight’s hotel stay when they arrive back in Australia.
The South Africa visit will also be the first time Australia has played redball matches in the country since the 2018 balltampering scandal.
‘‘I don’t believe people will be looking for the easy route of T20 in New Zealand rather than a test tour,’’ ACA chairman Greg Dyer said.
‘‘They still want to play test cricket.
‘‘They recognise that they have a responsibility to the game, which actually transcends borders.
‘‘And they will need to potentially travel internationally in order to make good those responsibilities.
‘‘We’re all on the same page in this. Cricket stands fairly united in terms of the way in which we want to go forward.’’
If both tours go ahead, it will raise several questions over the star power of the T20 team in a World Cup year.
Selectors would likely want to take considerable backup on the test tour, given the difficulties associated with flying in players.
Abbott, Moises Henriques and Mitchell Swepson all played in Australia’s last T20 and were unused squad members during the 21 test series loss to India.
While Abbott will basically be guaranteed a game against the Black Caps, the NSW quick has his heart set on making a longawaited test debut.
‘‘The dream is always to play test cricket and I can’t play test cricket if I’m in New Zealand.
‘‘So I would definitely prefer to be going to South Africa with a chance of playing test cricket.’’
Abbott conceded players had some concerns about the 10,000 new cases of coronavirus per day in South Africa, but has put his faith in the experts.
‘‘They wouldn’t send us over there unless they were 100% certain they could keep us safe,’’ he said. — AAP