Sutherland Ashes preparations

Sutherland defends Ashes preparations

 

James Sutherland suggested that ODI cricket was better than no cricket. © Getty Images

James Sutherland, chief executive of Cricket Australia, admitted on Wednesday (November 13) that Australia would have no excuses for not doing well in the upcoming Ashes series because their preparation has been far superior to England’s.
Sutherland defended the scheduling of Australia’s recent One-Day International tour to India, saying, “The quick change to the five-day game would have minimal effect on players in next week’s first Test in Brisbane.”
Had rain not ruined England’s tour match in Hobart last week, the three-time Ashes holders would have played three full first-class matches before the Test series. In contrast, some of the Australian Test players have had an interrupted start to the Sheffield Shield season, with the Indian tour and then the scheduling of England tour matches taking leading players out of the domestic fixtures.
Merv Hughes, former Australian selector and fast bowler, recently hit out at Australia’s scheduling. “I am just dumbfounded with England being in town and preparing for an Ashes that starts in about a month’s time and Australia has got a team playing in India, playing in subcontinent conditions preparing for the Ashes,” said Hughes.
“So who’s going to be better prepared come the first Test match? England appears to be doing everything right at the moment.”
However, speaking to a gathering in Melbourne on Wednesday, Sutherland suggested that ODI cricket was better than no cricket. “If Australia lose a fourth straight Ashes series for the first time since 1890 they will not be able to blame inadequate preparations,” said Sutherland.
“There weren’t actually a lot of players who are playing in the Test team in Brisbane who were actually in India, and at the same time there were a lot of players who were back here playing Ryobi Cup (domestic one-day series) and have been able to play in the first couple of rounds of (Sheffield) Shield cricket and have had a really good preparation.
“We’ve had a lot more cricket than England have over the last couple of months, so don’t tell me we haven’t had a good preparation because England have hardly played.”