Darren Lehmann unhappy with Australia not playing tour games ahead of WTC final, Ashes

Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann has expressed serious reservations over Australia not playing warm-up games ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the Ashes. He said the decision was fraught with risks.

Prior to the Border-Gavaskar series in February and March, which India won 2-1, Australia did not play a single tour game. This was primarily because their board felt that playing practice games on green tops and actual matches on spinning tracks is pointless.

“You need games to acclimatise first and foremost,” Lehmann, who served as Australia coach from 2013 to 2018, told SEN Radio.

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“To get used to the ball and wickets and pressure. No tour game is not a good idea. I hope it works but if it doesn’t, ‘who made that decision’ will be asked. I think we win the Ashes anyway 3-1 but if we don’t, wow,” the former Australia player added.

From 7-12 June, India and Australia will compete in the World Test Championship final at The Oval in London. This includes a provision for a reserve day.

The first Ashes Test will be held on 16 June at Edgbaston, four (or five) days after the WTC final.

Traditionally, teams touring England play county sides but of late, tour matches are being given a short shrift as cricket schedules around the world get tighter due to the proliferation of T20 leagues.

Instead of playing proper practice matches, the Australian team has chosen to hold net sessions in London and team bonding sessions in Liverpool.

Recently, Australia chief selector George Bailey stated that the team’s preparations will not be affected by not participating in tour games.

“It feels like this is becoming the norm for Test tours, around tour games,” Bailey had said.

“It feels like there’s more tours that you don’t have a tour match than when you do, so our team’s reasonably well prepared in terms of knowing what you need outside of those tours and the opportunities that may have happened on past tours.”

This is the first time that Australia have not scheduled a single warm-up match prior to the historic Ashes. It is a big departure from Sir Donald Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’, which played 12 matches before the first Test during the the 1948 Ashes.

(With inputs from PTI)

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