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Brisbane: Former Australian cricket captain Allan Border has said that he is a bit worried about Australia's preparation for the Ashes series.
In an article for the Sydney Morning Herald, Border said his concern has been magnified by the fact that Brett Lee, the side's most experienced bowler, is injured and out of the first two Tests.
"There is little time now for warm-up tour matches, which goes against how I believe is the best way to get ready for Test cricket. There is no substitute for time in the middle. I'm not convinced Australia has had enough of that," Border says.
He is particularly critical of the fact that this year's Ashes was preceded by the Twenty20 World Cup.
"When we were knocked out early, the team opted for practice sessions instead of organising more games. I was also critical of the 2005 lead-up, but that squad was experienced, so it wasn't as important. Just four of the 16 players in this party have played Tests in England, with Lee the only bowler," Border says.
"This lack of decent cricket for months could come home to roost. The batting seems to be going OK, with most players scoring runs recently, but the bowling worries me. You cannot replicate proper cricket in net sessions. Practice does not give you the same competitive edge. The pressures are very different with the real thing," he adds.
On the other hand, he says, England has been playing for months and had a confidence-boosting hit out against the West Indies in May with two big Test wins. It has played regularly in all forms of the game since.
