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Are Australia playing too many internationals?

Michael Clarke (AFP PHOTO / MOHAMMAD FAROOQ)
Expert
27th January, 2015
12

I am known in cricketing circles as cricket mad. In his foreword to my book Cricket Conflicts and Controversies Greg Chappell described me as “a self-confessed cricket tragic”.

I can watch cricket all day, not just internationals but also Sheffield Shield, grade cricket, even children playing with tennis balls in the park.

But this year it has been just too much of international cricket and even I tend to turn off from cricket on Channel Nine to Australian Open tennis on Channel Seven.

Just have a look at the very busy current cricket season for the Australian cricketers.

From October 3, 2014 until today Australia has played 21 internationals in the UAE and Australia – 6 Tests, 11 one day internationals (ODIs) and 4 T20 internationals. They will play one more ODI in January before the World Cup frenzy starts on February 14.

No wonder some Australians are on the injured list, the prominent ones being skipper Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Marsh.

But wait, there is more. Australia will tour the West Indies for a two-Test series in June and then England for a five-Test Ashes series from June to September. Apart from the Tests, Australia will play 5 ODIs and a T20 against England. Also they will play 4 four-day matches against counties and a T20 against Ireland.

It is truly a plethora of matches from October 2014 to September 2015 for the Aussies.

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Result-wise, the Australians have done well. Of the six Tests from October to January in UAE and Australia, they have won two, lost two and drawn two. Australia has won nine out of ten ODIs so far and lost only one. They have won three of the four T20 internationals with one loss.

Is this overindulgence of international matches in a short time necessary?

Yes, the tour to play Pakistan in UAE was important because the two countries had not played each other for some time.

But was the tour by South Africa cricketers to Australia in November 2014 for five ODIs and three T20s necessary when India was visiting Australia for a series of four Tests in December and January? This was followed by the tri-series between Australia, India and England in January and followed by the World Cup about a week later.

For that matter, why have this tri-series when the Cricket World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand from February 14 to March 29?

Not to mention the Big Bash League T20 smash-hit and run-helter-skelter colouring the cricket season around Australia, with fireworks to mark each six not to mention the acrobats and dancing girls.

And all these at the expense of the Sheffield Shield, the cradle of our cricket.

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Channel Nine shows Tests and ODIs. Channel Ten covers the BBL. But which channel televises the Sheffield Shield?

Australia should not be cock-a-hoop about beating India in Tests. India’s attack has been sub-standard.

Australia should concentrate on retaining the Ashes in September with a fit side against a stronger attack.

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