Ashes stars to get extra Aussie games
Ashes stars to get extra Aussie games
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Tuesday, 01, Aug 2006 11:11
Injured Ashes heroes Ashley Giles, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones have been offered the chance of extra practice games with South Australian club sides as they fight for fitness ahead of the Ashes.
The trio can acclimatise to the southern hemisphere conditions and continue their recoveries as bosses of regional Australian sides welcomed their possible arrival.
Rod Marsh, a former England selector who now looks after South Australia, explained that having the England players involved would benefit both countries.
"The best way to strengthen up grade cricket is to have overseas players. If we can get one or two overseas players into each team, I reckon that would be terrific for the competition," he said.
Legendary paceman Dennis Lillee, now head of the Western Australia Cricket Association, also threw his support behind the idea.
Current chairman of selctors David Graveney had initially suggested requesting Cricket Australia set up some games to help his side, but was smartly informed that the initiative would have to come from the visitors.
Fortunately former Hampshire batsman Paul Terry now runs a coaching academy in Perth and might be used by the England and Wales Cricket Board as an intermediary to nail down the details of players' early arrival.
Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath set the trend for such schemes when he used the English county circuit to ensure he was back to full fitness before the last Ashes series.