The all-important Ashes tour starts in June. This is April. The last serious match the Australian cricketers played was in March.
And that was on India’s spin tops – as poor a preparation for an Ashes series in England on seaming grassy pitches as you can imagine.
The difference is more cheese and soap than cheese and chalk.
Also let’s forget the IPL T20 matches going on in India, where some Australians are running around aimlessly.
The Sheffield Shield is over and the NRL, AFL and SBW are taking up all the sports space.
That’s where my mad as a hatter idea comes in. I can imagine you laughing hysterically when reading the next paragraph, chortling, “Kersi has really lost it today!”
Why not have two or three three-day practice matches in Perth on grassy pitches next month between two Australian teams?
What, cricket in footy season?
I can hear you ask, “Won’t there be two four-day matches in England (against Somerset and Worcestershire) before the first Test starts on July 10 in Nottingham?”
But we know how the British psyche works.
I bet the pitches for these matches will be without grass and batsmen friendly.
Then the Test series will start and suddenly it will be green grass everywhere, in-swing, out-swing, reverse-swing with Duke balls.
Please, Cricket Australia, don’t fall for this three-card trick.
The morale of Michael Clarke’s men is already low after the trouncing in India. The young Aussie team has little experience of the seaming heaven which is the UK.
Three-day matches on the grassy WACA of 1980s and 1990s vintage (and not the docile pitches Perth is preparing these days) in May will separate men from boys. They will be toughened by such practice games.
Here are my suggestions for these matches:
• Use the English duke balls, which swing more than the Australian Kookaburra balls.
• Reduce the distance between wickets from bowler to batsman by one metre.
• Recall the batsman if he has scored under 30 runs.
This would be an ideal preparation for the tough tour of England ahead than net practice and the boot camp.
Is this an airy-fairy idea? All new ideas are considered airy-fairy and subjected to ridicule until they are given a free reign and then bingo!
langou
Roar Guru
Good luck getting a full days play in Hobart in the middle of winter
Grover
Guest
Err, the WACA isn't used by anybody in the winter. The Eagles play at Subi, all of the WAFL games are on their suburban grounds or at Subi, and the other sports play at Members Equity stadium, or whatever it's called now.
Pradeep
Guest
Funny stuff
Pradeep
Guest
Correct Hobart would be the best place
Pradeep
Guest
Where is jooandalup
Pradeep
Guest
Rob I didn't see many of his county innings but heard he did well last season
Rob Barrow
Guest
Pradeep thanks for your adding your views, you have summed up examples that i would have used but i would also add to this UTK's form for Derbyshire last season where he played a key role in getting them to division 1 in what were some very tough county batting conditions(given the higher then usual amount of rain).
Glenn Mitchell
Expert
The WACA had not been used for by the WAFL for around a decade.
twodogs
Guest
hi don, love ya name (honestly) just rolls off the tounge! anyway what a fantastic proposition that is! what better way of achieving rehearsal for england. though we must have an environment similar and by using dukes, the guys may well get a leg up and cane 'em over there. but what do we know? cricket aus obviously have the greater good in mind and are doing a splendid job:-[
Pradeep
Guest
Agree 100%, good ODI player but hasn't done enough in shield
Pradeep
Guest
I think they need to
Pradeep
Guest
Thanks Ryan
nickyc
Guest
Brief and to the point!
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Awesome, thanks Pradeep. I appreciate the insight, mate.
MadMonk
Guest
Do they only have dial up internet? Hence the shouting.
Pradeep
Guest
Ryan I have to agree with Ron, I saw Khawaja's knocks at the AB oval when he played against a star NSW attack and he was the only guy to score 50s in both innings against the moving ball in low scoring match, also saw stream of his century against TAS.when he out scored them on an absurd green track and those 2 innings even got praise from Arthur because he handled the swinging ball so well
Disco
Roar Guru
You mean Clarke and Invers and Bichel will stand up to Arthur?
PETER JONES
Guest
THE AUSSIES NEED TO BURN ALL OF THEIR BATS AT THE END OF THE TOUR OF ENGLANG .THAT IS THE ONLY ASHES THEY WILL SEE. FORGOT THE 20/20CONCENTRATE ON TEST CRICKET. TIME FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO GET NEW BOYS WITH MORE RADICAL IDEAS NOT JUST MONETARY. PJ FROM THE PHILIPPINES
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Hey Rob, can I ask a serious question? (Ok, plus one more). Is Khawaja really that great against the swinging ball? It's been written by more than one Roarer over the last couple of days, and it kind of throws me a bit. I've watched a lot of Uzzy bat, and I really rate him. But at no stage has his ability to play the swinging ball stood out to me that greatly. In fact, I'm not sure he's faced a great deal of high quality swing bowling. No doubt he would have come up against it in county cricket, but obviously I didn't see any of that first hand.
Rob Barrow
Guest
His shield scores are just not good enough for ashes selection, we need to reward shield performance.