Cricket – Ashes 2019 – First Test – England v Australia – Edgbaston, Birmingham, Britain – August 1, 2019 Australia’s Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith Action Images via Reuters
MELBOURNE, Dec 5 (Reuters) – Incoming Cricket Australia (CA) boss Todd Greenberg said Australia will need tough conversations about regenerating an ageing team amid concerns of a coming exodus of senior players.
Australia fielded only one player under 30 in debutant opener Nathan McSweeney in the first test against India in Perth where Pat Cummins’ side were thrashed by 295 runs.
Greenberg, who will take over from Chief Executive Nick Hockley at the end of the home summer, acknowledged the challenge facing Australia while noting players are enjoying longer careers due to better management.
“We do have a more ageing side, particularly in red-ball cricket, and that won’t be easy,” Greenberg told Australian media in Adelaide on Thursday.
“There have to be hard and honest conversations between players and staff, and I think those are happening, to be fair.
“In saying that, though, the professionalism of modern athletes are tending to take them longer in their careers; the way we take care of them, the way we rehab them, the way they take care of themselves.
“I think it’s a very fine balance.”
Australia rested all test players from the entire T20 series played recently against Pakistan and a number of them from the one-day international series with a view to keeping the squad fresh for the five-test series against India.
The white-ball matches were poorly attended, leading to heavy criticism from media and former players who accused cricket officials of short-changing the fans.
Greenberg said CA could improve its communications with the public even if selection decisions were often polarising.
“We want to explain the reasons why we might do certain things,” he said.
“And again, that might polarise opinion. Sometimes people might not agree, and that’s okay, but I think it starts from the premise of being really strong communicators.”
Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharama
