Melbourne Stars coach David Saker is fuming after being overruled by Cricket Australia’s high-performance staff, who have ruled Scott Boland out of the BBL opener.
Boland was selected in the 14-man squad for the first Test in Perth next week against Pakistan and has been told to rest up even though he is unlikely to be in the final side.
Saker is far from impressed that Boland will not be playing when the Stars take on the Heat in Brisbane on Friday night, particularly when Test batters Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja have been allowed to play a BBL match before joining the Aussie squad in Perth.
“It’s so hard for Cricket Australia to get it right. But there should be more consistency with who can play and who can’t play and there’s got to be more transparency a long way out. It seems to me at times it’s done on the run instead of long-term planning,” Saker told NewsCorp.
Scott Boland celebrates the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo by Gareth Copley-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
“I want the best players in the whole of Australia playing this competition. I can’t see how Scotty Boland bowling four overs is going to have a huge effect on him. And he’s been playing enough cricket. Four overs is not going to kill him.
“I understand how hard it is for Cricket Australia to balance all that out. I just think it should be done a bit further out. It just seems to me that it’s done one case at a time. It should be done a long way out so everyone knows.”
After resting for a week since his return home from India, Aussie white-ball star Glenn Maxwell will captain the Stars in Thursday night’s Big Bash League opener against Brisbane at the Gabba.
The 35-year-old, who will again play for Royal Challengers Bangalore next year, hopes as many Australians as possible get IPL experience ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.
“The IPL will probably be the last tournament I ever play, as I will play the IPL until I can’t walk anymore,” Maxwell said at Melbourne Airport on Wednesday.
“I was talking about how good the IPL has been to me throughout my career; the people I’ve met, the coaches I have played under, the international players that you get to rub shoulders with, how beneficial to my whole career that tournament has been.
“You’re rubbing shoulders with AB (de Villiers) and Virat (Kohli) for two months, talking to them while watching other games.
“It’s just the greatest learning experience that any player could ask for.
“Hopefully a lot of our Australian players can get over to the IPL and get to work in slightly similar conditions to the West Indies, where it is a little bit drier, it will spin.”
Australia’s white-ball group remain on a high after last month’s stunning World Cup final victory over India.
After winning their first T20 World Cup in 2021, Australia were unable to back it up at home when they hosted last year’s edition.
But the men’s national side now have an opportunity to replicate England’s achievement by holding the 20-over and 50-over crowns at the same time.
“As soon as we won this World Cup, we all talked about the refocus towards the next one,” Maxwell said.
“I’m hoping it’s going be a really exciting summer for the BBL, with what is just around the corner.
“Hopefully a little bit more importance on putting your name up in the headlines for the right reasons and trying to push for those spots.”
with AAP
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