Allan Border warned Australia their lack of a warm-up game could come back to bite them in the World Test Championship final and the Ashes.
The record-breaking former Australia captain is concerned that the majority of the 17-man touring squad have had no cricket or have been limited to the IPL in the lead-up to two monumental red-ball campaigns.
“I don’t care how hard you work in the nets, nothing replaces game time,” Border told Fox Cricket.
“I’m really surprised we’re just allowing the Ashes tour to be so condensed with no cricket between the games, but that’s the way it is.
Australia celebrate winning the Ashes in 2022. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)
“I get it, we’ve got IPLs and T20s, I understand. The game’s moved on. But I think there’s an opportunity there for us to go to England early and play a couple of games … just to polish things off a bit.
“It just doesn’t feel right not to play any cricket leading into an Ashes series. I just think that’s fraught with danger … there’s something gnawing at me saying it’s the wrong decision.”
Three squad members – Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Harris – have been playing county cricket in the lead-up to the Ashes while fast bowlers Michael Neser and Sean Abbott are also a chance to be called onto the Australian tour after impressing for Glamorgan and Surrey.
Cricket Australia officials insist Josh Hazlewood will be fit for the World Test Championship and Ashes despite flying home early from the Indian Premier League.
After battling injuries for the past 18 months, Hazlewood reported side soreness after his most recent IPL match for Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 9.
That prompted him to return to Australia, where he has since returned to bowling before being due to take off to England with teammates later this week.
The World Test Championship final against India is on June 7, with the Ashes starting on June 16.
Smith leaves impact at Sussex
Test vice-captain Steve Smith’s controversial three-game stint at Sussex is over with the star batter to join his Australian teammates for a training camp ahead of the WTC final and Ashes campaign.
England captain Ben Stokes was one of the critics of the move because it would give one of their main rivals valuable match practice.
Smith signed off for his county with 89 in his third innings during his brief stint, rescuing his team after they had lost 3-7 as Sussex dwarfed Glamorgan’s total of 123 with 481.
Steve Smith hits a boundary off Marnus Labuschagne. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
He finished with 122 runs at 40.66 and was out LBW in each knock but Sussex coach Paul Farbrace was thrilled with his impact even if he didn’t amass bulk runs and defended the county by saying “absolutely it was the right decision”.
“Steve has been outstanding. For me, the bigger picture was what was Steve Smith able to bring to the club, the excitement he caused around the club and county cricket, we’ve all benefited from that,” he said.
“But also our change room and our practice area, our players have had the opportunity to work with one of the best players to have played the game. The learnings that they’ve had from him in terms of how he prepares, practices, how he thinks about the game, how he talks about the game.
“There is no big time Charlie about him. He is a proper normal down to earth bloke who just loves playing the game of cricket.
“We’ve just said to him now whenever he wants to come back he’ll be most welcome.
Ashes countdown: Days to go …
25
The record for most sixes in Ashes clashes held by Ben Stokes and Kevin Pietersen although the current England captain is likely to claim the outright lead next month.
On This Day …
May 23 – One of England’s greatest batters, Denis Compton, was born in 1918 in Middlesex. He played eight Tests before World War II then resumed his career in 1946 to represent England 78 times, scoring 5807 runs at 50.06, including 1842 at 42.83 in 28 Ashes Tests.
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