Having learnt of the likelihood of the Sydney New Year's Test being shifted from its traditional start on January 3 to January 7, former Australia skipper Allan Border slammed the country's cricket board (CA) for bowing down to the demands of their Indian counterparts (BCCI).
As per a report published earlier this week by ESPNcricinfo, the third Test of the scheduled Border-Gavaskar Trophy will have a four-day late start.
The yet to be finalised itinerary sees the four-Test series beginning December 17 in Adelaide, followed by the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne (December 26-30) and the fourth game in Brisbane starting January 15, 2021.
The tour will also see Indians playing three ODIs in Brisbane on November 26, 28 and 30 and three T20Is in Adelaide on December 4, 6 and 8, respectively.
Border raised the issue of a prolonged gap between the second and the third Test.
"I don't think it should be a negotiated scenario," he told Fox Sports News. "If it's necessary because of what is happening globally with the virus then fair enough, but if it's just because they want a bit of a spell off between Boxing Day and the New Year's Test match then that's rubbish."
"We've been doing this for how many years now, back-to-back Test matches? It works a treat through that Christmas-New Year period and I wouldn't be comfortable with it moving just because India want a couple more days off."
Broadcasters Seven West Media, the owner of the Channel 7, aren't also too pleased with the itinerary prepared. A PTI report states, "On Tuesday (October 6), Seven West Media took Cricket Australia to arbitration, demanding a cut in annual fees, reportedly dissatisfied with the planned schedule of the India tour".
Border directly targetted BCCI on the matter.
"I think they're just playing mind games," he said. "They consider themselves the strength of world cricket, and financially that is the case so they do have a fair say in things. But if the roles were reversed, we wouldn't have much say in the itinerary, it would just be put in front of us and these are the dates that we're going to play."
"You can negotiate as much as you like but these are traditional dates that everyone knows have been in the calendar forever, so to start negotiating now it's a tough one. I wouldn't be bowing down to it - we've got traditional dates, let's stick with them."
One other contentious aspect of the schedule is that Australia don't get to start the Test summer at their much-preferred venue, the Gabba, where they've been undefeated since the 1989-90 summer.
"The Brisbane Test match has traditionally been the first game for a lot of years now," said Border. "It's such a great ground, it's a pitch that we know well and play well on and it gives us a huge start to our international summer."
"Now obviously, India don't want to play that first game in Brisbane, but that shouldn't be the case. We should just be saying 'these are the venues and these are the dates'."
"As far as of when games should and shouldn't be played, I don't think we should give an inch at all," he signed off.
