Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Simon Katich calls on batters to play more cricket as Cricket Australia defend lead-in

Cricket Australia has publicly defended its preparation for the Adelaide Test, despite backlash from former greats over the call to give players a week off.

Australian players returned home in the 10-day break between the humiliating defeat in The West Test and the second match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide.

The squad, which now includes Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster as cover amid concerns over Mitch Marsh’s fitness, is expected to link up in South Australia across the weekend.

In an interview with The West Australian, former Australian opener Simon Katich joined the chorus of greats pushing for batters to play in a Prime Minister’s XI clash with India or even club cricket at the weekend.

Marnus Lauschagne, the batter under the most heat after the loss in Perth, has not shoehorned into the PM’s XI. His club side, Redlands in Queensland, are midway through a two-day match this week.

“Only he can answer that because all their preparation is different, but I know in our era you would have been encouraged to play a game in between, whatever that is, just to spend some time in the middle,” Katich, a Channel 7 commentator, told The West.

“From experience, when you are lacking runs, anything that helps you get that confidence back in your game — whether it’s how you’re hitting them or you’re not spending enough time in the middle — you do to try and get that back.

“Ultimately with batting, it might only be one shot away or one innings away and then things click and you feel good and you can transfer that to the next level.

“As a batsman, it is about controlling your own game. It doesn’t matter who you are playing, if you are in control of your own game, then you feel like it doesn’t matter who you are facing, you can adjust accordingly.”

But Cricket Australia bosses are adamant keeping players fresh is still the right method amid a light build-up for the crucial day-night Test in Adelaide.

General manager of national teams Ben Oliver defended the process and said they had confidence in players to manage their own preparation.

“It’s a very experienced team and they have had a really consistent approach to the way they have prepared for international series over a long period of time,” he said.

“That has served them well with some really strong performances across formats over the last few years.

“There is a lot of trust and a lot of confidence in the method they are using to prepare.

“What I do know is they will be recovering from this first Test, working in their home-state environments, and coming to Adelaide.

“They will be very thorough and work hard in the lead up to the Test match and be very well prepared come the start of the Test.”

Former captain Michael Clarke was among those critical of pulling players out of the final one-day international against Pakistan in Perth earlier this month, suggesting they did not care if they won the series.

Oliver said calling in Webster was a “great opportunity for Beau to get around the group”, but played down injury fears around Marsh, despite captain Pat Cummins conceding the all-rounder was sore and battling injury niggles after the first Test.