Twenty20 cricket's damaging effect on Australia

Twenty20 cricket has affected the availability of fast bowlers for Tests in Australia, and has had a negative influence on the techniques of Australian batsmen, writes Simon Hughes in the Daily Telegraph.

In fact T20 is the source of Australia’s problems. For a start the two most potent bowlers in Australia, Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes, only play T20 cricket having declared themselves unavailable for Test cricket. In Tait’s case he has cited injury problems as his reason.

Either would have given England’s batsmen something completely different to think about in the Ashes, but they are content to earn their corn from a couple of two-over spells on a balmy evening in front of packed stand of revellers eating fast food.