Sydney: Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) Chief Executive Paul Marsh has said that the new ‘split innings’ one-day format in the domestic tournament would affect the national team’s preparations for the 2011 World Cup.
“The timing of it is not good. It raises the question of how the players will be rated when the selectors are picking the World Cup squad,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Marsh, as saying.
“I’ve told CA that they’ve gone about this completely the wrong way - they haven’t brought the players into the process properly. They are the ones who play the game. They’re adamant that radical format changes are not the highest priority for the one-day game,” he added.He further said that the new format would adversely affect middle-order batsmen.
“Batsmen like Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey built their one-day careers on keeping their heads and building innings. For that type of player, it’s a totally different game,” Marsh said.The new format will divide innings into two blocks, the first of 20 overs and the second of 25 overs, with fielding restrictions for the first five overs.
Bowlers will be able to bowl a maximum of 12 overs rather than the usual 10, and fast bowlers will be permitted to bowl two bouncers an over rather than one.
ANI
First Published: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 16:22