India Tour of Australia 2020-21: Allan Border Slams Cricket Australia, BCCI on The Proposed Change in Schedule
Former Australian captain Allan Border said that his country's cricket board should not bow down to changes in the BCCI's schedule, especially the Sydney Test, in relation to the upcoming tour of India.
The Australian tour of India, which is going to start after the Indian Premier League (IPL) ends, has been in dispute even before the start. Cricket Australia has released a possible schedule for this tour.
Former Australian captain Allan Border said that his country’s cricket board should not bow down to changes in the BCCI’s schedule, especially the Sydney Test, in relation to the upcoming tour of India. The Sydney Test is generally considered to be the New Year Test which starts in the first week of January but has been shifted from the predetermined schedule to January 7.
The schedule is yet to receive confirmation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Australia, according to which three T20 Internationals will be played in Adelaide from December 4 to 8 then the four-match Test series with the opener in Adelaide from December 17 instead of the traditional Brisbane.
The border is not happy with the change in schedule.
“I don’t think it should be a negotiated scenario,” Border told Fox Sports News.
“If it’s necessary because of what is happening globally with the virus then fair enough, but if it’s just because they want a bit of a spell off between Boxing Day and the New Year’s Test match then that’s rubbish.
“We’ve been doing this for how many years now, back-to-back Test matches? It works a treat through that Christmas-New Year period and I wouldn’t be comfortable with it moving just because India want a couple more days off.”
“I think they’re just playing mind games,” Border said. “They consider themselves the strength of world cricket, and financially that is the case so they do have a fair say in things. But if the roles were reversed, we wouldn’t have much say in the itinerary, it would just be put in front of us and these are the dates that we’re going to play.
“You can negotiate as much as you like but these are traditional dates that everyone knows have been in the calendar forever, so to start negotiating now? it’s a tough one. I wouldn’t be bowing down to it – we’ve got traditional dates, let’s stick with them.”
The border also criticised the shifting of the Brisbane Test to the back-end from the traditional slot of being the season opener.
“The Brisbane Test match has traditionally been the first game for a lot of years now,” he added. “It’s such a great ground, it’s a pitch that we know well and plays well on and it gives us a huge start to our international summer.
“Now obviously, India doesn’t want to play that first game in Brisbane, but that shouldn’t be the case. We should just be saying ‘these are the venues and these are the dates’. As far as of when games should and shouldn’t be played, I don’t think we should give an inch at all.”
Seven West Media had on Tuesday taken Cricket Australia to arbitration over the change on losses, demanding a cut in annual fees.
