Australia’s legendary captain Allan Border has shared his thoughts on the Pat Cummins-led side not playing a practice match ahead of the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2023) against India at the Oval from June 7-11.
After the WTC 2023 final, the Australian team will also play arch-rivals England in the five-match Ashes from June 16 to July 31.
The Australian team will prepare for the six Tests by undergoing a high-intensity training camp in Beckenham, featuring center-wicket practice and net sessions.
“I don’t care how hard you work in the nets, nothing replaces game time. 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,” Border told ‘Fox Cricket’.
For the first time in Ashes history, Australia won’t face any local county sides before or during this winter’s tour of England.
“I’m Really Surprised We’re Just Allowing The Ashes Tour To Be So Condensed”- Allan Border
Due to the ongoing English County Championship and the fact that the World T20 is an ICC tournament, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is not required to set up exhibition games for the visiting teams. The Indian team won’t play any warm-up matches either.
The guys from “Down Under” won’t play any English county sides prior to or during this winter’s visit, which will mark a first in Ashes history. Australia decided against playing warm-up games even before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India.
“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. 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,” Border added.
To ensure England’s Test players are available for The Hundred tournament, which is slated to begin in early August, the ECB has crammed the Ashes into a six-week window.
While the likes of Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Marcus Harris have been playing in the County Championship, those players in India will head to England after wrapping up their IPL stints.