The Australia Cricket Selection Committee had a chance to take the help of the Prime Minister but has denied taking his help. The reason? Australian batters have performed poorly in the Perth Test and thus the prospect of using the batters in the Prime Minister XI arrived, but the hosts of the Border Gavaskar Trophy have denied taking the opportunity.
It looked like a good chance to include Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, and Josh Inglis in the Prime Minister XI vs India A in the warmup match. But the Aussie think tank has denied taking the help of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. They believe they don’t want to give the chance to the Indians to get to know their star batters yet again before the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide.
Team India handed Australia a humiliating 295-run defeat in Perth in the opening game of the IND vs AUS Test series. Questions were raised after Aussie batters collapsed under pressure. And with 5 Test matches in the series, the Aussies want to keep their batters relatively unknown to the Indian bowling attack.
Damage Control Tactics by Australia
“The PM’s XI match is a great opportunity for up-and-coming players to play alongside some older heads against a super-strong Indian side,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Sydney Morning Herald.
“I’m confident Jack Edwards’ PM’s XI team will show how to best play these incredibly impressive Indian bowlers, and I’m equally confident that Pat Cummins’ Australian team will turn things around in Adelaide,” Albanese added.
Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke voiced his opinion claiming the batters who failed to perform should take part in the 2-day warmup game in Canberra. “As a player when you’re under the pump, and you’re not making runs, the risk is there. You go play club cricket, you could get a good ball and you can nick it. If the selectors are sticking with the same XI – if I’m out of form as a batter, I’m batting,” Clarke told the Big Sports Breakfast.
