Ex-Australia captain Michael Clarke lashed out at Pat Cummins for missing the series decider against Pakistan to attend a music concert. Australia registered their first series loss in 22 years against Pakistan as they were beaten by 8 wickets in the third ODI. Australia conceded the series 1-2.
Interestingly, Cricket Australia had rested Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood for the third ODI to prepare for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Australian skipper Cummins was spotted attending a Coldplay concert with his wife. Clarke slammed the management's decision to rest players after the series loss.
"I’m just a bit confused, so 11 days between now and the first Test, why can’t the Aussie boys who are part of this Test series play in the one-dayer. They are going to go to training and get flogged. If Australia had won the first two games, then you can understand why they rest their big fish, but it was series on the line," Clarke said on his Big Sports Breakfast radio show.
Also Read - Border Gavaskar Trophy: Australian opener Nathan McSweeney braces for 'unique' Jasprit Bumrah challenge
"You can’t expect the fans to want and come and watch one-day cricket. I feel like we obviously don’t care about losing that series. If you’re not going to care, we’re not going to care. I think we have it wrong. I understand resting for Test cricket, I love that, but it's a one-day game. They are going to bowl more than that at training," he added.
Pakistan thrash Australia in 3rd ODI by 8 wickets
In the third ODI, Australia’s batting once again struggled as they were dismissed for just 140. Sean Abbott was the top scorer with 30 runs, while Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah claimed three wickets each. Pakistan had little trouble in the modest run chase and completed it with over 23 overs to spare.
Australia will now face Pakistan in a three-match T20I series, beginning from November 14. The T20Is will be played across three venues: the Gabba, Sydney, and Hobart. Following the T20Is, Australia will prepare for a five-match Test series against India, which begins on November 22 in Perth.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
