Marnus Labuschagne says it is “astonishing” and “hard to fathom” that Australia will play India in a Twenty20 match just four days after the ODI World Cup final.
Labuschagne and seven other members of Australia’s triumphant World Cup squad arrived home on Wednesday, ready to rest before preparing for the Test summer. Less rest awaits, though, for the other seven members of the winning squad.
Australia are due to face India in a T20 match in Visakhapatnam on Thursday night, after days of celebrating their Sunday’s ODI World Cup win over the same team.
Images of Travis Head’s celebrations in particular have gone viral, with the player of the final appearing in several photos on social media as recently as Tuesday night in India.
Mitch Marsh quipped on return to Australia on Wednesday that it would “be a miracle” if Head played in the first T20, while Pat Cummins also jested about the batter’s chances. Jokes aside, the situation does highlight the issues with cricket’s seriously congested calendar.
“We had pretty much two days of celebrating, which was nice. And just to really soak it up and soak in what we actually just achieved,” Labuschagne said.
“But I mean, it is astonishing that there’s another game on tomorrow. That’s hard to fathom. It’s hard to fathom how those guys are going to be playing in a day’s time.
“But that’s just the nature of the scheduling, it’s the nature of cricket at the moment. We’ve got three weeks until the first Test so guys will be freshening up, getting themselves ready for the for the next challenge.”
Up to seven of Australia’s players from the World Cup squad will play in the match, and at an absolute minimum one of the men who played on Sunday will play on Thursday.
Steve Smith is every chance of opening the batting for the first time, in the one meaningful factor of the match given he is hopeful of taking the role for next year’s T20 World Cup.
India have named only one player from their team from the World Cup final in their 15-man squad, with Suryakumar Yadav to captain the side.
Otherwise, almost none of their first-choice XI will feature.
(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
The series is reminiscent of Australia’s three ODIs against newly-crowned T20 champions England in the immediate aftermath of last year’s short-format World Cup.
That series attracted crowds as low as 10,406 at the MCG and prompted concerns over a lack of public interest.
But at least in that instance, a near full-strength Australia had a point to prove off the back of some rest after being bundled out in the group stage of the T20 tournament.
In this case, both India and Australia are feeling the after-effects of an ODI World Cup that finished just four days earlier.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Then BCCI wants the money.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Haha
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
It probably wouldn't matter if the self same players who bemoan the amount of cricket they play stopped chasing more dollars by wanting (and being selected) to play every format anywhere anytime. My belief is the top Test players shouldn't be selected in our T20 teams however they chase contracts in the IPL and are then the players with the most T2o experience hence being selected. I don't know what the answer is but feel format specialisation is desirable but difficult to achieve while there is so much money in T20 and not so much in red ball cricket.
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: Classic BP!
Ben Pobjie
Expert
I think it’s just reflective of the public thirst for more bilateral T20 series. Wherever cricket fans gather you will hear them bemoaning the shortage of these series. “I haven’t seen a T20 series for DAYS!” they cry. “Why do the ICC so neglect our abiding passion for this most important format?”
RayinSydney
Roar Rookie
huh, imaging working one week, and having to do it again the next week, over and over…it’s almost like a paid job.
Barney
Roar Rookie
Plenty of blokes to send over to get some Indian experience…should have used the opportunity better….including not sending home Cam Green…what a ridiculous decision on the surface
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Hey Marnus - it’s not “hard to fathom” at all. Look at your bank balance for the answer.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Don't get me started about camping gear Rowdy....
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I'll lend you my gas stove, I've got some other camping items left you can borrow too.
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
They should be playing SS until the tests start.
ant
Roar Rookie
Glad to see Hardie getting a go (came in for Warner). But Hardie should really be a Test allrounder. I think if Marnus/Smudge/Head get injured in the Summer Test series, Hardie should be next in.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
How many of the ODI WC team are playing in Game 1 of this T20 bilateral series? Marnus? – Non-story really. Other than the story re actual opportunity for some players to make their mark in T20 representing Australia. – And in any event, I’ve had some “big wins” in my professional career over the decades. Granted those have generated a day, maybe two, of some non-productive downtime in the afterglow. Should those have warranted 2, 3, 4 weeks off from working? Well, being biased, I’d love to say yes, but mostly it was just “back at it” soon after. But I guess I’ve never been on a 300K-$1m per annum contract, so what do I know? – It’s astonishing – and hard to fathom – why I never realised I was entitled to take more time off after some success. I mean, sure, achieving success was why I was employed in the first place, but still….
Damo
Roar Rookie
Everyone knows why. 1 acronym & 1 word. BCCI & Money.