Players mindful of bigger picture for third Test at SCG

Tim Paine hopes his team can provide a distraction from the bushfire crisis by playing a brand of cricket to make the country proud.

Pat Cummins gives the out signal during the Australian team photo wearing the McGrath Foundation’s pink caps ahead of the third Test against New Zealand. Picture: Brett Costello

Cricket continues apologetically. The Sydney Test preparing itself against a backdrop of the national bushfire tragedy. The New Zealand and Australian players practised, the McGrath Foundation prepared for its biggest fundraiser and the SCG ground staff went about their work while cricket’s people tried to rationalise playing a game in circumstances so grim.

As they did, mourners turned out for the funeral of fireman Geoff Keaton in Sydney’s west and news came through during the morning that at least 17 more people were missing in Victoria.

The players will wear black armbands for the dead on Friday, the crowd will acknowledge the efforts of the firefighters and plans were announced to raise money for the fire-affected in the future.

Tim Paine usually fields questions about pitches, injuries, team changes, but this week there’s been a second layer of inquiry about the effects of smoke, the impact of the tragedy and the appropriateness of playing when the country is going through trauma.

“I think the way we look at it is it might be an opportunity for us to provide a distraction for people and a bit of happiness if we can by playing a brand of cricket that Australians are proud of,” he said.

“The events that are going on around the country at the moment are a real eye-opener for us. We speak about one of things being humble and showing some humility ... our thoughts certainly go out to the people that have been affected by it.

“The firefighters have been the real heroes of this summer. They’re taking on some extreme risk and putting themselves in some pretty ordinary situations. We certainly thank them on behalf of our team and our wishes are with people currently affected.”

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The scale of the devastation has placed the McGrath Foundation, which monopolises fundraising at the Sydney Test and is celebrated for its tireless work, in a difficult position.

“2019 was a pretty tough year, you think about the drought continuing out in the bush and also the fires recently, absolutely devastating, our thoughts are with them, people who have lost lives, family members who have lost lives and property, it has been absolutely tragic,” Glenn McGrath said.

“Being a country boy the bush is something I feel close to and I know the sense of community and the generosity and the way people in Australia come together when needed.”

The McGrath Foundation provides support to many rural women suffering from cancer.

Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts announced plans to raise funds in the ODI series later in the summer.

“We all love the SCG Test, it is one of the greatest events on the international sporting calendar every year, but the reality it pales into insignificance when you compare it to the devastation of the bushfires that are raging around the country at the moment, when you compare it to the biggest drought of our lifetime, or when you compare it to the many thousands of women around Australia who have lost their lives to breast cancer over the years,” he said.

“That helps us keep things in perspective.”

McGrath said he hoped it rained. The farmers needed it, Australia needed it, cricket fans could live with it.