CA forced selectors to pick India Test squad early: Mark Waugh

Sydney, Nov 20 (IANS) Selector Mark Waugh Thursday said Cricket Australia’s (CA) “marketing purposes” hampered the Test selection process for the upcoming series against India, starting Dec 4.

Australia will name their squad for the first Test Monday, a day before a round of Sheffield Shield matches, that would have been extremely useful for selectors to gauge the form of several Test hopefuls.

Waugh made the candid admission when asked why the squad for the first Test against India was being picked almost two weeks before the match.

The current scenario forces the selectors to make their decision this weekend, also taking a potentially premature decision on captain Michael Clarke’s fitness.

“We’re sitting down Saturday to pick the first Test team. It doesn’t actually allow us to look at the second (next) round of Shield matches,” Waugh was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun.

Waugh was also asked why he couldn’t plead with CA for more time before making a final call on the Test squad.

“Ideally, you would like to see the second round of Sheffield Shield matches but that’s not a decision the selectors have made,” he said.

“Cricket Australia have made that. It’s for marketing purposes.”