Pat Cummins has come forward to defend the decision made by the Australian cricket team to forgo warm-up matches prior to the World Test Championship final and the Ashes series.
This comes as former captain Allan Border expressed his concerns about Pat Cummins and his team’s plans leading up to the demanding tour of England.
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Pat Cummins, along with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, has been undergoing pre-season training at NSW’s Cricket Central since April. They later participated in a pre-tour camp at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane. In response to criticisms regarding the lack of tour matches, Cummins explained that the team simply did not have enough time in the schedule for such fixtures.
“It’s the nature of the schedule,” Cummins stated as quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald. “But we feel really good. We’ve had a good prep up in Brisbane for a few days. It’s a pretty busy couple of months coming up, and six Tests in two months is really hectic. You’d rather be fresh at the end of it than worn out. We’ve got a pretty experienced squad and have all played in England before, so we’ll be as ready as we’ll ever be.”
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I Don’t Care How Hard You Work In The Nets: Allan Border Slams Pat Cummins And Company
Interestingly, the Australian team decided to begin their tour at the exclusive Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa, where they engaged in team bonding activities.
This unconventional approach raised eyebrows, particularly for Border, who questioned the logic of arriving just 10 days before the first Test without having played a single tour match. Border emphasized the importance of game time and expressed surprise at the condensed nature of the Ashes tour.
“I don’t care how hard you work in the nets, nothing replaces game time,” Border shared his concerns with Fox Cricket. “I’m really surprised we’re just allowing the Ashes tour to be so condensed with no cricket between the games, but that’s the way it is.”
Despite the differing opinions, Pat Cummins remains confident in their preparation and believes their prior experience playing in England will serve them well. With a busy schedule ahead, Pat Cummins & Co aim to maintain their freshness and perform at their best throughout the highly anticipated Ashes series.
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