‘Finding top six of quality and consistency main challenge for Australian cricket’: Geoff Lawson

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London, Oct. 28: Former Australian cricketer Geoff Lawson has said that Cricket Australia faces three key challenges going into the 2012-13 season: finding six top players of quality and consistency, replacing an aging batting line-up and to show courage to “merge commercial imperatives with the playing health of the game.

“On the field the biggest issue is finding a top six of quality and consistency. The plummet to No.5 in the world rankings was basically on the back of poor batting. The old adage of “batsmen save games, bowlers win them” applied directly in that time,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Lawson, as saying.

Lawson said that while the bowling has been restored among the players, “the ageing batting has not been challenged, let alone replaced.”

“The challenge is to ensure state cricket is played by the best cricketers available with a hard competitive edge that brings out the cream, which means getting players on the field trying to beat the crap out of each other rather than attending net sessions and lectures at academies,” he added.

Lawson said that off the field, the new Cricket Australia board would have to show courage to “merge commercial imperatives with the playing health of the game.”

“The appointment of those with cricket knowledge and experience to cricket positions would be a start, followed by the best marketing, finance, IT and strategic staff advising the board,” he said. (ANI)