Former Australian cricketer Damien Fleming has questioned the timing of Saturday night’s international T20 between Australia and South Africa.
With a slew of batting spots up for grabs in Australia’s Test team on December 6, the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis were playing in the T20 exhibition, something Fleming doesn’t understand.
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“That T20 on the Gold Coast on Saturday night…if we didn’t play that, all those players could have played in the Sheffield Shield,” Fleming told SEN Breakfast.
“How are Finch, Stoinis and Maxwell enhancing their chances of playing the first Test match by playing a T20 game on the Gold Coast?
“They played an AFLX game when they should have been playing a home-and-away game.”
Garry Lyon said the T20 match was “the most senseless scheduling of a game ever”.
SCRAP INTERNATIONAL T20 CRICKET SAYS BERRY
Last week, former South Australian and Victorian wicketkeeper Darren Berry called for the culling of international T20’s.
“These international T20 games are a waste of time. I say keep T20 cricket as a domestic tournament only and scrap the international versions,” Berry told SEN Mornings.
“We need these players to have some really solid Shield cricket leading into the first Test.
“I believe these international T20 matches that are taking place, they’re getting in the way of our preparation for Test cricket.
“I know the market and I know the young audience likes T20 cricket. I’m more than happy with the Big Bash, I love the Big Bash, but what’s the point of an international T20 game just before a Test series?
“Does anyone really care about international T20 cricket?
“These T20s are robbing the opportunity of players playing in the Shield. We’re playing too many meaningless games.”