'No tour game is not a good idea' - Darren Lehmann critiques Australia's decision of boycotting Ashes warm-up fixtures

Former Australian cricketer Darren Lehmann has blasted Australia for their decision to not engage in any warm-up matches before the much-anticipated tour of England later this year. The Australian squad is said to be prioritising mental health and preserving their physical fitness ahead of the marquee Test series.

Pat Cummins' Australia will take on India in a highly-anticipated World Test Championship final in June at The Oval and will reignite their intense rivalry with nemesis England in the Ashes following the summit clash. The Australian Test side has not played a warm-up tour match in nearly four years, and the Kangaroos will continue that trend ahead of the two high-profile fixtures.

According to reports, the Australian team will prepare for the World Test Championship final and Ashes series with a training camp in Beckenham, where they will have centre-wicket practice and net sessions. However, former Australian cricketer Darren Lehmann is not too pleased with the decision and feels warm-up matches are necessary to acclimatise the players with the ball and wickets in the country.

"You need games to acclimatise first and foremost. To get used to the ball and wickets and pressure. No tour game is not a good idea. I hope it works but if it doesn’t, who made that decision will be asked. I think we win the Ashes anyway 3-1, but if we don’t, wow,” Lehmann told SEN this week.

It feels like this is becoming the norm for Test tours: Bailey

It is worth noting that this will be the first time the Australian team will participate in the Ashes without playing a practice match in England. Former Australian captain and national selector George Bailey confessed that it was becoming a norm these days due to the hectic cricketing schedule. 

“It feels like this is becoming the norm for Test tours, around tour games. It feels like there’s more tours that you don’t have one than when you do, so our team’s reasonably well prepared in terms of knowing what you need outside of those,” Bailey told reporters last month.