The Australian media has slammed Cricket Australia (CA) for the decline in the state of cricket in the country, saying that a 'complete lack of vision' from the board has seen a failure at every level to develop players, particularly batsmen, into genuine Test prospects.
According to News.com.au, despite Australia's glowing form in the current ODI series in India, CA's desire to cram as much cricket as possible into the schedule has seen a decline in the standards which are expected as normal in Australian cricket.
Backing former captain Ricky Ponting's slamming of CA, the report said that CA chief executive James Sutherland has failed to mention in his defence of the game that his claimed 75 million-dollar investment was spent on complicating the simple game by bringing sports scientists, high performance directors and layers of coaches.
According to the report, an obsession with revenue-raising limited overs matches and uncovering batting talent who only like spending 30 minutes at the crease for their 50 runs has led to a complete capitulation at Test level.
Stating that the sport is crumbling at the elite level in the country, the report cited the example of the domestic T20 Big Bash League, which shows the growing lack of patience in players, adding that injured captain Michael Clarke's leadership is at times divisive and questionable under pressure.
The report called for the removal of Sutherland and high-performance manager Pat Howard, saying that their departure will at least pave the way for a return to normality, away from the idea that a sports scientist can hook a bowler out of the nets before he has warmed up.