Paceman James Pattinson won’t take part in the Twenty20 Champions League, but five of Australia’s incumbent Test team will spend much of October in South Africa at the event.
The 14 squads for the Champions League, which starts with a final qualifier on October 9 that will eliminate four of the teams, were named on Friday.
Australia’s Big Bash League representatives – the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers – are already assured of a place in the main tournament which runs October 13-23 and offers a prize of $US2.5 million to the winners.
Mitchell Starc and Shane Watson are in the Sixers’ 15-man squad, while fellow Test incumbents David Warner (Delhi Daredevils), Michael Hussey and Ben Hilfenhaus (both Chennai Super Kings) will join them at the event.
The timing of the tournament is unfortunate for those hoping to impress Australia’s national selectors with some first-class form ahead of the Gabba Test, which starts on November 9.
That list is headed by injury-plagued teen sensation Pat Cummins (Sixers), his BBL captain Brad Haddin, and left-armers Mitchell Johnson (Mumbai Indians) and Doug Bollinger (Chennai).
Australia’s bowling coach Ali de Winter will be in South Africa to monitor his charges’ workload and fine-tune their use of the red ball.
Test captain Michael Clarke doesn’t want a repeat of 2010, when Bollinger broke down mid-Test after rushing to India following the Champions League.
“We can certainly learn from that, that’s for sure, and I think we are,” Clarke said on Thursday.
“(General manager) Pat Howard’s been exceptional in regards to our planning, he’s made no bones about prioritising Test cricket.”
Pattinson’s non-selection by Kolkata frees him to play two more Sheffield Shield games for Victoria.
Clarke noted there was “nothing you can do” about the T20 distraction ahead of the three-Test series against world No.1 South Africa.
The 31-year-old said the Champions League would impact both Australia and the Proteas equally, but Friday’s squad announcements suggest that’s not the case.
Jacques Kallis (Kolkata), AB de Villiers (Titans) and Morne Morkel (Delhi) are amongst the South African Test stars contesting the short-format event.
But importantly for the visitors, spearheads Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander will have a traditional preparation for the Australian tour.
Clarke said T20 form would count in the national selectors’ minds when choosing the Test squad.
“All you can do is perform in whatever format you’re playing,” he said.
Sydney Sixers: Pat Cummins, Brad Haddin (capt), Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Michael Lumb, Nathan McCullum, Nic Maddinson, Ian Moran, Peter Nevill, Stephen O’Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Dominic Thornely, Shane Watson
Perth Scorchers: Tom Beaton, Michael Beer, Paul Collingwood, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ryan Duffield, Ben Edmondson, Herschelle Gibbs, Brad Hogg, Simon Katich, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Joe Mennie, Marcus North (capt), Nathan Rimmington, Luke Ronchi.
