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New Australian coach Darren Lehmann says performance is paramount and fast bowlers would only be rested if they’re physically unable to last the five days of a Test match.
Lehmann said he would never rotate a player for the sake of it, but by the same token wouldn’t be taking fitness risks.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said earlier in the week that players would no longer be rotated out of the side as a means of blooding new talent.
Lehmann agreed and said form would be his benchmark.
“If you’re performing, you’re in the side,” said Lehmann.
“We are going to pick the best available each and every time. They’ve got to be fully fit to play. If they are fully fit and they can get through Test matches they will play and if they’re not they won’t.
“That’s as simple as it will be.”
Lehmann said each case would be different.
He would take on board advice from those in charge of wellness indexes, but at the end of the day he would make a call.
“We will judge that as it comes. I’m certainly guided by the guys that do that. At the end of the day we will have to make calls,” he said.
Australian vice-captain Brad Haddin was asked prior to the tour match against Somerset whether players would be rotated during the Ashes.
His facetious response reflected the opinion passionately held by cricket fans for years that policies which cheapened the Australian shirt were wrong.
“No, I think we’re going to rotate our players in and out of Ashes games,” Haddin said with a smirk, before getting serious.
“This is as big as it gets and common sense says you pick the best team you can to play for Australia. That’s not going to be an issue.”
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