Published: Jun 25, 2013, 03:38 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 25, 2013, 03:38 PM (IST)
Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland (above) admitted that coach Mickey Arthur was made a scapegoat for Australia’s recent failures © Getty Images
Melbourne: Jun 25, 2013
Cricket Australia (CA) Chief Executive James Sutherland has announced that the controversial rotation policy will be shelved for the upcoming Ashes campaigns even as the fallout continues after head coach Mickey Arthur’s shock axing.
The rotation policy, or “informed player management” as chief selector John Inverarity called it, had been designed to prevent players, particularly fast bowlers, from injury and burnout but was despised by many, including a host of former Test greats and broadcast partner Channel Nine.
However, the report added, CA has decided to turn its back on the policy, which was one of the key initiatives of the regime led by cricket boss Pat Howard and Inverarity, in what shapes as another last-minute change to Australia’s game plan for reclaiming the urn.
“I think certainly looking ahead to the Ashes series in England and next summer in Australia you won’t see any of that rotation policy, as you call it, in the fashion that we have in the past,” said Sutherland as reported by The Age.
“It’s about providing opportunities to players for a team that’s in transition so the selectors can see, give players opportunities at international level and see how they cope with that and respond.
“For well over a decade the Australian selectors have adopted a policy of doing that particularly with one-day cricket.
“I’ve got no doubt that will continue but for Ashes Test matches we will day in day out be picking our best team.”
However, new coach and former Test batsman Darren Lehmann, who was not a fan of the policy, had said that they have to create cricketers, not athletes, adding that although players can be helped with sports science, it should not be forced on them.
“I think Australia must pick its best side for each and every game it plays. Pick the best side for conditions. If that means someone is playing all the time, so be it,” said Lehmann, who was appointed as head coach on Monday.
Sutherland also admitted that Arthur had been made a “scapegoat” for the Australia’s recent failures, but added that as head coach he must take responsibility.
“To some extent people will no doubt say Mickey Arthur is a scapegoat in this and to some extent he is but realistically as head coach you need to take responsibility for the performance of the team. The players also need to stand up. We all do,” concluded Sutherland.
CA, which was constantly under fire last summer over their selections, was criticised for unveiling a rookie pace attack for the deciding third Test against South Africa in 2012, which they lost heavily and surrendered their chance to claim the No 1 world ranking.
Channel Nine, which recently signed a US 590 million-dollar TV deal with CA, had also slammed the board when crowd favourite David Warner was rested at the same time as injured captain Michael Clarke for the start of the ODI series against Sri Lanka, the report added.
(With more inputs from ANI)
