Former England cricketer David Lloyd didn't mince his words while criticizing the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the national men's team's schedule. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that the ICC doesn't bother too much about the fans, given the non-stop itinerary of the England team across the three formats.
England's home Test series against Sri Lanka ended on September 9. However, the Three Lions engaged in a white-ball series against Australia from September 11 onwards. The selectors had no other option but to rest a few senior players. The white-ball series ended on September 29 and the Test team returned to action on October 7, beginning an away Test series against Pakistan.
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Lloyd noted that cricket enthusiasts are finding it very difficult to plan which matches they are going to attend as a result of the relentless scheduling.
"The ICC knows the price of everything, but the value of nothing. It should be quality over quantity, but it is the other way round with them. Supporters are obviously the last people on their mind. A fan would usually save up and plan long in advance for a tour, maybe join a tour group and look forward to their trip. Now, where are they supposed to go?" Lloyd wrote in his column for The Daily Mail.
"Until last week, England's armchair fans didn't even know if they were going to be able to watch this series at all. 'Is it going to be on telly?' 'Oh, they don't know yet.' It's ridiculous. Are these people sat around a table drunk?" Lloyd added.
Because of the schedule, teams have no time to prepare properly now: David Lloyd
The third and final Test match between England and Pakistan is set to run from October 24-28. Following this encounter, England are scheduled to play a white-ball series in the Caribbean, starting on October 31. Lloyd opined that the scheduling needs to allow teams to prepare for important tours. He pointed out that touring teams fail to get adequate preparation as there is no time to play warm-up matches.
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"Because of the schedule, teams have no time to prepare properly now. They don't play warm-up matches. They just rock up into a different country and start playing. I once took England to Lahore to prepare for a tournament in Sharjah as coach, and have been there two or three times with Sky. It is one of the great places to tour. Everyone talks about the Caribbean, Australia or New Zealand, but Pakistan is fabulous and great fun," the 77-year-old stated.
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