Former opening batsman Aakash Chopra believes the Australian Test team is “vulnerable” ahead of the upcoming series with India.
Taking place of late has been some media ‘infighting’ between prominent former players, including Michael Clarke, Shane Warne and Simon Katich, which threatens to emerge as an ugly sideshow in what could be a long Test series against the well-oiled Indian outfit.
Touching on the war of words that is prevalent right now, Chopra questioned whether the state of the Australian team and its surroundings has indeed been this bad for some time while indicating that Justin Langer’s men are extremely susceptible ahead of the First Test in Adelaide next week.
“It does make Australia, not just this Australian team but Australian cricket in general, a little vulnerable,” he said on SEN’s Time On.
“For the simple reason that we are hearing a lot of voices and all these voices are of serious repute.
“You are talking about a former captain, you are talking about a former (star) cricketer and the house is as divided as what you see from the outside.
“Also, I feel that the way the entire ball-tampering saga was handled. The bans and not revoking the bans after eight months.
“I really feel that it’s been blown out of proportion a little bit. If it is so deep rooted, deep seeded then I can understand that you need to take drastic measures and you need to change the world upside down.
“But was Australian cricket that bad all this while? I don’t know.
“From the outside what we saw of Australia was a very competitive, outstanding unit that was difficult to beat, but was there so much of a problem in Australian cricket?
“That’s something that has come out in parts and pieces over the last 12 months.”
Chopra will be a key member of SEN’s Test Cricket Team this summer which kicks off at the Adelaide Oval on December 6.