Former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy has said that Australia was completely right in deciding not to play a single tour match in India ahead of BGT.
Days ahead of the start of the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy, former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy has said that Australia was completely right in deciding not to play a single tour match in India ahead of the series.
Healy’s shocking comments came weeks after Australia batter Usman Khawaja said in a press conference that it is useless to play a warm-up match in India as the wickets differ completely when the two teams play the main match.
"Have you ever been pre-tour with us (Australia)? They can be spinning wickets when we play but we go to the practice matches and they are green Gabba-like wickets out there (in India), so what's the point," Khawaja had said during a press conference earlier this month.
Healy echoed similar feelings and said during an interaction on SEN Radio, “"We've gathered our spinners in Sydney for strategic talks (on replica India surfaces)… we no longer trust that the requested facilities will be provided for a nation."
"We've been part of this shenanigan too by the way… when we're over (in England) we spend our time whinging about weakened County teams that England put up as our opposition before the series," he added.
"Our focus in cricket has shifted from creating opportunities and experiences for our best up and coming cricketers… now we deny touring teams quality preparation before very highly anticipated series and I don't like it. It's disappointing to watch such dismantling of trust between cricket's nations and it needs to stop," claimed Healy.
It is to be noted that Australia are yet to win a single Test series in India since 2004-05. "Touring teams seem to all struggle these days and here we go again, we're going to India without a whole lot of Indian practice under our belts, let alone England later in the year where we haven't won since 2001,” Healy added.
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