Australia's pre-Ashes preparation another big scheduling blunder

Australia has it eyes fixed with intent on the Herculean effort it will take to overcome India at home in the upcoming four-Test series.

As always, it shapes as a red-letter fixture in which the visitors will again attempt to overcome their ugly history on Indian soil.

Fast-forward an interminable eight months to the Test side’s next challenge, and we arrive at a five-Test series in November streaked with the most meaning for Australian cricket – and therein lies the problem.

A well-oiled England outfit emerging from a Test series with the West Indies preceded by a Test series with South Africa, will set sail for the Great Southern Land in November.

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The Poms will have just played the Proteas in a four-Test series in England across July and August, followed almost immediately by three Tests at home against the West Indies across August and September.

The baggy greens, on the other hand, will arrive at the Gabba in late-November for the first Ashes Test of the summer having not played five-day cricket since its final encounter with India in late-March.

While right-arm quick Jimmy Anderson and company craft spell after spell bestrewn with probing top-of-off deliveries, Australia’s bowling cartel will spend its time hurling six different balls an over down the wicket during three Champions Trophy matches in England in June.

Alistair Cook and friends will meanwhile battle like foot soldiers for 100-plus overs an innings, in seven successive Tests, grappling with reverse swing, deteriorating wickets and the return of the brand-new shiny leather every 80 overs.

Australia’s willow-wielders are more likely to see who can be the first to blast a helpless opposition spinner out of the attack, and perhaps who can crash one into Big Ben on the way.

England will also feature in the Champions Trophy, but its Test series with South Africa and the West Indies will follow while Australia shuts up shop.

The Indian Premier League will so too fill the diaries of a number of Australia’s cricketers between the tour of India and the home Ashes series.

Additionally, if the 2016-17 Sheffield Shield schedule reveals anything, the Shield won’t offer any pre-Ashes cricket next summer.

An overloaded schedule cannot explain the hosts’ frivolous Ashes preparation.

The SCG Test against Pakistan, coupled with the four-Test series with India, followed by the first four Tests of next summer’s Ashes series, equates to a total of just nine Tests in 2017.

From the last five calendar years, four have seen Australia play more than nine Tests.

Australia played 11 in 2012, 13 in 2013, 13 in 2015 and 11 in 2016, while 2014 hosted nine Tests.

Ricky Ponting’s Australians hadn’t played a Test since April against Bangladesh when they arrived in Brisbane for the opening match of the side’s five-nil 2006-07 Ashes whitewash.

Meanwhile, England had played a three-Test series in India followed by three home Tests against Sri Lanka and another four against Pakistan in the lead-up to the Ashes.

It is no surprise that England had a better preparation leading into the 2006-07 Ashes series, and it’s no surprise that Cook’s troops will land in Brisbane having had a better preparation for next summer’s Ashes.

This is due to the simple reason that the Poms’ summer leads into Australia’s.

The difference, however, is that for many of Australia’s cricketers in the pre-T20 era, English County cricket would lay the platform for the ensuing home summer.

The IPL burst onto the scene in 2008, instantly swallowing a number of Australia’s Test cricketers during the Australian winter.

Of the current Australian Test squad, eight held IPL contracts in 2016. These were Steve Smith, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb and Mitchell Starc.

Of the other Australian cricketers reeling in the big bucks, many are on the verge of Test selection or likely will be in the future. These are Nathan Coulter-Nile, Marcus Stoinis, James Faulkner, Andrew Tye, Scott Boland, Adam Zampa, Travis Head, Kane Richardson, Chris Lynn and Moises Henriques.

Of the current Australian Test squad, only Handscomb is set to play English County cricket this year, a fitting preparation for the Australian summer given its long format and use of the red ball.

Other than Handscomb, who has signed with Yorkshire, the only other genuine possibility is Josh Hazlewood. This is in light of recent advice from fast bowling great Glenn McGrath and the fact that his skillset is highly suited to English conditions.

Domestic T20 aside, it remains unclear why Australia can’t at least play a two-Test series in the lead-up to next summer’s Ashes.

After all, Australia toured the UAE in a two-Test series against Pakistan in October of 2014.

Not only would a similar arrangement provide Smith’s Australians with some sort of long-format and red-ball preparation, it would only take Australia’s total Tests in 2017 to 11.

Ideally, however, the side would play a lengthier Test series away after the completion of the Champions Trophy.

Sri Lanka provided exactly that in 2016 – an opponent for an away Test series in Australia’s winter.

Both Warner and Melbourne Stars dynamo Kevin Pietersen recently expressed disappointment with Cricket Australia’s scheduling.

To continue the theme, the baggy green’s preparation for the 2016-17 Ashes appears to be another big scheduling blunder.