CA and Australia selectors have faced some public criticism after Sunday’s ODI series defeat when Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne rested from the trip to Perth to freshen up ahead of the first Test, a Despite an 11-day gap between the last ODI and the first Test, which will also be held in Perth, starting from November 22.
But it is understood that it had long been planned since the schedule was announced that the fast bowlers in particular would be rested from the final ODI before the Test series with a massive summer including seven Tests in the Border-Gavaskar series and Sri Lanka. tour, followed by the Champions Trophy.
Australia’s medical and strength and conditioning staff have strong historical data suggesting their fast bowlers are at high risk of injury after a one-day break with a long flight included, as was the case in the third ODI in Perth scheduled for Sunday, just two days after the second ODI in Adelaide. Australia experienced a very recent example of that problem in the United Kingdom when they lost six fast bowlers to injuries, even without including the problem of long domestic flights.
It is understood that even if the third ODI was in Sydney, it is unlikely that the quick three would have played all three matches in any case, although the match in which they were rested may have changed.
“The amount of planning and work that goes into team selection and preparation across three formats is incredible because of the detail they go to,” Hockley said at the MCG on Tuesday.
“Certainly, in terms of the test players, we want them to go through. It was effectively seven test matches, more or less in a row, and then for the players of all formats in the Champions Trophy. It felt on this occasion that it was the best for the general priorities for the summer is that they miss the third ODI.
Hockley said the lessons of last week will be fresh in the mind as CA finalizes the schedule for next summer’s white-ball series against India, leading up to the Ashes.
“I think we’ll take a look at that,” Hockley said. “I think what this schedule has really highlighted is that the travel schedule to such a big series is critical again. It’s about thinking ahead and getting the players through in the best possible condition. So, yeah “As we look ahead to the schedule for next year, we will go into detail to ensure the travel schedule is optimized so we can continue to put our best possible XI on the field.”
The main problem is that the business needs do not necessarily match those of the team. In an ideal world, Australia believes it could field its full-strength XI in all three games of a week-long ODI series if they were spaced evenly with three-day gaps between each game. But such a scenario would mean that the middle game of the series would fall on a Wednesday in early November, while the work and school year were still in full swing in Australia, which is not optimal for broadcasters and venues to maximize the number of spectators and public. . As a result, there is a preference for Friday and Sunday games on the same weekend with teams traveling in between.
Pakistan played the same XI in all three matches, with their quick four backing up a superb performance in Adelaide with an even better performance in Perth. But none of the four played in the final two Tests against England before the tour to Australia, and Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah will be rested from Pakistan’s upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, which follows this week’s T20I series, to further illustrate plus the difficulties they face. Countries are required to present complete elevens for each international match.
“We have often been criticized in the past for not giving new players a chance to come in,” Hockley said. “There was a plan in place, and that plan was really to ensure that our players across formats were in peak condition for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series.
“Obviously this was a hugely disappointing result, but I think it’s a very good opportunity to expose some of the talent that is going through the pressures of international cricket. And on this occasion, I think they were found wanting by a very competitive and energetic Pakistan team. ”
