Cricket Australia's perspective (Test v T20)

[brod]

Cricket Australia has downgraded its rating of Tests as the most important form after its chief executive James Sutherland said there was now "a fine balance" between the priorities of five-day fixtures and the Twenty20 Champions League. Sutherland's comments come after Michael Hussey was not allowed to leave the tournament in South Africa early because his team, Chennai Super Kings, had reached the final.
Staying for the decider, which Chennai won last month, meant Hussey and Doug Bollinger did not arrive in India to prepare for the first Test until three days before the match. Bollinger suffered a stomach injury during the game in Mohali and Hussey felt out of touch.
"Michael Hussey made it clear to CA before and during the CLT20 that his strong preference and preferred intention was to leave earlier than the final to prepare for the Test series in India," Sutherland said. "It was only because of our requirement and the performance of his franchise that he stayed until the end of the CLT20 final.
"Michael had nothing but the best intentions of preparing for and playing for his country as his absolute priority but there was a fine balance between a high profile, elite club T20 competition and preparing for international cricket."
Previously, interrupting the preparation for a Test was unthinkable but Twenty20 is changing the rules. Cricket Australia is one of the organisers of the Champions League and Sutherland said it was important for all three formats to prosper.
"In this case, the scheduling was difficult, particularly after the decision to play Tests in the current series, and it is a fact of life that scheduling of elite cricket - which we have sometimes described as being as difficult as trying to play chess in three dimensions - will create tough decisions from time to time," Sutherland said. India's MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina experienced the same length of preparation as Hussey and Bollinger.

[The Cadet]

joke

[brod]

joke

Maybe part of the reason we are 5th in the Test rankings

[Rik E Boy]

I don't believe it is Cricket Australia that has downgraded the importance of tests. I believe that statement has come from the author of the article. You have copied the entire piece but you didn't really have a contextual look at what it was trying to say.

Sutherland said it was 'a fine balance', the author of the article said 'Cricket australia has downgraded the importance of test matches'.

Big difference.

regards,

REB

[smac]

joke

Maybe part of the reason we are 5th in the Test rankings

Then explain why India, who are apparently focussed too much on T20, are ranked number 1. They are playing more cricket and getting better at it. We'll be playing catchup for a few years because of the resistance to T20 within Australia.

[Rik E Boy]

joke

Maybe part of the reason we are 5th in the Test rankings

Then explain why India, who are apparently focussed too much on T20, are ranked number 1. They are playing more cricket and getting better at it. We'll be playing catchup for a few years because of the resistance to T20 within Australia.

No, the reason why we are behind not only India but several other nations in Test Cricket is because our attack is not as good as it was. Our captain knows this and goes defensive at the drop of a hat. If you do not attack more often you don't take wickets and if you don't take wickets you don't win test matches.

As far as playing more cricket and therefore getting better at it. India are a strong side becuase of the experience of the playing list. Having the number one batsman in the world doesn't hurt either. Also, the last two Australia vs. India test series have been played on Indian soil. This so called 'resistance' to Teeball has very little to do with our diminished standing in the real game IMO.

regards,

REB

[Lightning McQueen]

No, the reason why we are behind not only India but several other nations in Test Cricket is because our attack is not as good as it was. Our captain knows this and goes defensive at the drop of a hat. If you do not attack more often you don't take wickets and if you don't take wickets you don't win test matches.

As far as playing more cricket and therefore getting better at it. India are a strong side becuase of the experience of the playing list. Having the number one batsman in the world doesn't hurt either. Also, the last two Australia vs. India test series have been played on Indian soil. This so called 'resistance' to Teeball has very little to do with our diminished standing in the real game IMO.

regards,

REB

We don't have the batting line-up either, there was a stage when our batsmen failed every 4th innings, now our batsmen succeed every 4th innings, that's if they are in form. We concentrate on what players can bring to the table not what they are bringing to the table.
North will get another few tests despite his shocking form, one innings saves his arse again. Hussey wouldn't even be close to getting dropped neither would Clarke who averaged nearly in the minus's in India.
Punter should look at bowing out while he still has some touch, we should bite the bullet and begin a re-building phase, our player rotation has been non-existent and we settle for second rate performances.