Sydney: Former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke has expressed his skepticism regarding Australia's strategic decision to rest several senior players for the third ODI against Pakistan, suggesting that the series was at a critical juncture and a more aggressive approach might have been warranted.
Prior to the third and decisive ODI, the series between Australia and Pakistan stood at a stalemate at 1-1. However, the Australians opted to rest several of their senior players in Perth, leading to a significant eight-wicket defeat against the Pakistan team on Sunday.
In an interview on The Big Sports Breakfast, Clarke opined that the players selected for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad could have easily participated in the third Test against Pakistan, given the nearly 11-day gap before the first Test match against India in Perth.
He further elaborated that Australia's decision to rest key players for the match against Pakistan, a team they were considered to be "big fish", appeared to be driven by a lack of concern over the potential loss of the series.
"I'm somewhat perplexed by the decision to rest players with such a significant gap before the first Test match against India. If Australia had managed to secure victories in the first two games, it would have been understandable to retain these key players. However, given the series was on the line, it seems there was a lack of concern about the potential loss," Clarke remarked.
"If there's no concern, then why should we, as spectators, care? It's difficult to fathom the interest in watching one-day cricket when Australia is not performing well, and the series is not attracting a large audience," he added.
During the match against Pakistan in the third ODI, the Australian captain Pat Cummins, along with teammates Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith, and Josh Hazlewood, were rested due to their participation in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to begin on November 22 in Perth, with Adelaide and Brisbane set to host the second and third Test matches of the series, respectively. The prestigious Boxing Day Test match is anticipated to be held in Melbourne, with the final and fifth Test of the series planned for Sydney from January 3.
Australia commenced the three-match ODI series against Pakistan with a narrow victory of two wickets in Melbourne. Nonetheless, their subsequent defeats in the series allowed Pakistan to secure a historic win over Australia on their home ground.
