Test stars turn to England for Ashes experience as red-ball famine takes hold Down Under

Australia is in the middle of a Test famine until England arrives for the Ashes. To fill the void, a once well-known nursery for player development is back in vogue.

Queensland Bulls and Test star Marnus Labuschagne will return to Glamorgan. Picture: Getty Images

The abandonment of Australia’s Test tour of South Africa left that country’s cricket board angry and frustrated, but their feelings were matched by the Australian players who found themselves staring into the void while other nations kept playing cricket.

The timer is running out on Tim Paine’s career and his baggy green is gathering dust. David Warner and Steve Smith already had a 12-month hole in their career courtesy of their own failings but didn’t need another.

Cameron Green is peeling off record scores and taking hangers on the wing in state cricket, but how much better if he could have exploited this purple patch wearing the baggy green?

England has so much cricket this year (12 Tests) its main concern ahead of the Ashes is burnout while Australia will be worried about rust.

Marnus Labuschagne returns to his happy hunting ground with Glamorgan.

Smith, Warner and co at least will odd job at the IPL and The Hundred to fill in the gaps and a long list others in or around the Test squad have turned to the England system.

Some of the decisions he has copped this first-class summer have left Marnus Labuschagne shaking his head, but he is going to keep batting and will take up where he left off with Glamorgan in 2019.

The brilliant batsman was a last-minute, bargain-basement purchase by the county that year as cover for Shaun Marsh who was called away to World Cup duties.

Five centuries later Labuschagne was called up to the Ashes squad and never looked back.

Sean Abbott is another in great form which may have found outlet to express itself in South Africa.

The fast bowler, who is now among the Sheffield Shield’s best batsman, will head off after the domestic season in an attempt to keep things rolling.

If NSW make the finals, as it appears they will, he will miss the start of the county season.

Justin Langer, like many of his era and before him, spent his winters playing county cricket, in his case at Somerset.

The coach told The Australian he was keen for his cricketers to use any down time to improve their game where ever they can — adding that in the modern environment the IPL plays a similar role to county duties.

Michael Neser will go to Glamorgan with Labuschagne.

“County cricket in the past had an incredibly beneficial effect on Australian cricket because it had such an incredibly beneficial effect on the individuals who go to play it,” he said.

“The best way to learn how to play is to play, and while that sounds simple, it is the truth. The IPL benefits individual growth in T20 cricket as county cricket used to promote growth in red ball and white ball cricket.

“From my point of view I am excited to see so many players playing IPL and county cricket because the players are playing games and that’s where they learn the most about themselves and the game.”

Australia is in the middle of a Test famine where the four Tests against India in the summer are the only red ball internationals in the 22 months from January 2019 to when England arrive for the first game of the Ashes.

Peter Handscomb has hit back late in the Sheffield Shield and will be eager to continue that form in England.

England has a feast of 12 Tests before it lands on these shores with two against Sri Lanka and four against India complete, four more against the same country to come as well as two yet to be scheduled against New Zealand.

Cameron Bancroft scored a century against South Australia recently but has not played for Australia since the 2019 Ashes. He had been made captain of Durham before being called up to national duties then and while he will not return in that capacity he will be back at the county in 2021.

Durham’s director of cricket, Marcus North, was keen to get Bancroft back.

Travis Head will head to Sussex to keep his game in check.

“He had a positive influence on and off the field during his time with us in 2019,” North said.

Michael Neser, an almost permanent member of the Australian squad who is yet to get a chance to wear the Baggy Green, will go to Glamorgan with Labuschagne.

Peter Handscomb, who looks to be finding his way back into good form for Victoria, will go to play for Middlesex where Mitch Marsh has a T20 contract.

Travis Head will keep his game on the boil at Sussex.

Ben Dwarshuis and Billy McDermott (white ball only) have signed for Derbyshire, Peter Siddle with Essex and Dan Worrall with Gloucester.

Originally published as Test stars turn to England for Ashes experience as red-ball famine takes hold Down Under