Waugh: If you’re tired, don’t play in IPL

Australia

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has scoffed at the idea that players are overworked these days, saying that if they’re so tired, they should avoid the IPL.

The Indian Premier League is played in April and May, the traditional international break, and Waugh feels that if players were really so exhausted, they’d skip the lucrative event.

He was responding to the news that Australia will start a Test series against India in February the day after finishing T20s against Sri Lanka.

Waugh told Fairfax media: “There can’t be (too much cricket) because they choose to play in the Indian Premier League. There can’t be too much cricket because they keep playing more.

“I looked at the schedules and I think they compared myself and Steve Smith and the previous captains on workload and we’re playing the same amount of days.

“They don’t play any (Sheffield) Shield cricket or club cricket – we used to play all that as well.

“Their’s is probably more intense, more international cricket, but days played, we played as much and travelled as much and these days the hotels are better than when I first started playing.”

Tony Irish, the Federation of International Cricketers Associations chairman, was more sympathetic towards the Australia players, many of whom will have to miss the Sri Lanka T20s.

He said of Fox Sports: “I think it is dangerous territory because it forces players to choose one format of international cricket over another, and international cricket starts competing with itself.

“Players around the world are strong in their view that all international cricket should be the best versus the best and this needs to be the case to ensure the international product is as good as it can be for players, fans and broadcasters.

“Best versus the best will not happen when elite players who play all formats are not available because the national team is playing different formats at the same time.”

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