Australian players walk off the pitch after their loss to Pakistan during in their One Day International cricket match in Perth. (AP Photo)
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said the ODI series loss against Pakistan disappointing but staunchly defended selectors decisions to release Test-bound players to prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Australia released Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne after the second ODI. Pakistan won the decider by eight-wickets at Perth to win the series 2-1.
The series loss didn’t go well with former Australia captain Michael Clarke, who criticised selectors for “not caring about losing.”
“I’m just a bit confused. So 11 days between now and the first Test [in Perth], why can’t the Aussie boys who are part of this Test series play in the one-dayer?” Clarke said on Big Sport’s Breakfast radio program.
“If Australia had won the first two games, then you can understand why they rest their big fish, but it was [the] series on the line.”
However, Hockley suggested that the ide behind resting several key players was to give exposure to the youngsters.
“We have been criticised in the past, but not giving new players an opportunity to come in,” he said.
“I think there’s a there was a plan in place, and that plan was really to make sure that our all-format players were absolutely peak condition for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series.
“This was obviously a massively disappointing result, but I think a really good opportunity to expose some of the talent was coming through to the pressures of international cricket.”
Australia and Pakistan will now play three T20s before the first Test against India begins in Perth on November 22.
