Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland admits it is too early to say which players would be mentally ready to face the hastily rescheduled Test against India following the death of batsman Phil Hughes.
Michael Clarke and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in line to play first Test between Australia and India
The opening clash between the two sides was due to start tomorrow at the Gabba in Brisbane but was put off following Hughes death last week, with many fellow players left emotionally shattered.
The funeral of Hughes, which was held in his hometown of Macksville today was be attended by the Australian Test squad as well as past and present luminaries of the game including Mark Taylor and Sir Richard Hadlee, Brian Lara, Virat Kohli, Ravi
Shastri, Shane Warne, Mike Hussey, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott was in attendance of the service at which Clarke, who was by Hughes’ bedside as he lay stricken in a Sydney hospital, will speak in tribute and join family members and fellow team-mate Aaron Finch as pallbearer.
Cricket Australia amended the Test dates after lengthy talks with the Board of Control for Cricket in India and other stakeholders.
Instead of starting on Friday, December 12 – as the second Adelaide Test was originally scheduled – it will now begin on December 9 and be the opening match of the series.
“There is nothing perfect about what we have come up with here but we appreciate everyone’s support and understanding in these tragic and extraordinary circumstances,” Sutherland said.
“Every cricketer in the world joined Phillip’s team” – Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland: http://t.co/FdNZn6WZuO #RIPPhillipHughes
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 3, 2014
Whether the players will be ready for the Adelaide Test remains to be seen. David Warner, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin and Nathan Lyon were on the field when Hughes was hit while captain Clarke was a close friend and his emotions have been
raw.
“Any player that is not comfortable or doesn’t feel right, or there is medical advice to suggest they’re not quite right, then we will obviously understand that,” Sutherland said.
Meanwhile, veteran bowler Ryan Harris said he was not sure whether he would take the field in Adelaide.
“I am still thinking about it – I’m not sure,” he said of his availability, but he added returning to cricket helped him when he lost his mother to lung cancer in 2006.
“Every individual is different. I have lost my mother before and I was pushed to play for my father and my brother and it probably helped.”
Cricket Australia announced late yesterday day that two games in the tri-series between Australia, England and India had been swapped.
The changes move forward the ODI between Australia and England in Sydney two days to January 16 while the ODI between Australia and India at the Melbourne will be on January 18 instead of two days earlier.
A two-day tour match has also been scheduled in Adelaide from Thursday for India against a Cricket Australia XI.
