Australia's wicketkeeper great Ian Healy believes the breakdown of trust between nations is to blame for the Test team not having a tour game ahead of their four-match series against India, which begins on February 9 in Nagpur.
Since their tour of Pakistan last year, Australia has maintained a no-tour match policy, which will be carried over to their crucial Test tour of India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
They've also been practising with players who aren't in the Big Bash League (BBL) by simulating roughed-up and cracked pitches at the North Sydney Oval over the weekend, before a five-day training camp in Bengaluru ahead of the first Test, as Australia aims to win a series in India for the first time since 2004.
"We've gathered our spinners in Sydney for strategic talks (on replica India surfaces), and we no longer believe that the requested facilities will be provided for a country. By the way, we've been a part of this shenanigan as well... when we're over (in England), we spend our time complaining about the weakened County teams that England put up as our opponents before the series."
"Our focus in cricket has shifted from providing opportunities and experiences for our best young players to denying touring teams quality preparation before highly anticipated series, which I don't like. It's disheartening to see such a breakdown in trust between cricket's nations, and it needs to stop "Healy stated this on SENQ's Pat and Heals radio show.
Healy suggested that a three-day tour match be held during the week between the second and third Tests in New Delhi (February 17-21) and Dharamshala (March 1-5). "Touring teams seem to be struggling these days, and here we go again, heading to India without much Indian practise, let alone England later in the year, where we haven't won since 2001."