SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Australia’s senior players will be ready to assume additional duties like giving throw-downs to team mates in practice if further cost-cutting means fewer support staff, leading batsman Steve Smith said yesterday.
Cricket Australia (CA) has furloughed about 80% of its workforce due to the coronavirus pandemic and state associations have made deep staff cuts in recent weeks.
CA chief Kevin Roberts suggested on Friday there could be another round of cost-cutting to shore up the board’s finances. “Particularly the senior players being able to maybe take a bit of time off your own game and help someone else out at training or something like that,” Smith said after returning to training with his New South Wales team mates yesterday.
“They (support staff) all have a role to play, particularly as the game evolved and got more professional.
“We’ve got people in different areas of expertise to help the team prepare and get ready to play.
“Guys might have to throw to one of the other batters or help out the bowlers in some way.
“If that happens, it will take a bit of adjusting.”
On the proposed ban on using saliva to polish the ball, Smith thinks it could disrupt the game’s bat-ball balance.
“I’ve always been one for a fair contest between bat and ball. Even as a batter if that’s taken away, I don’t think that’s great,” Smith said.
“I actually spit on my hands most balls and that’s how I get grip and stuff. So that might take some adjusting to certain things like that.”
