Buchanan plans national cricketing strategy
Australian coach John Buchanan wants to break new ground by developing a national cricketing strategy during a brainstorming session later this month.
Buchanan has invited state coaches to join Australia's top players in a five-day camp north of Brisbane which will also feature former greats Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillee.
It's a concept Buchanan dreamed up six months ago, securing a window in the domestic calendar to ensure the nation's best cricketing brains could attend.
Buchanan, who has been in the national job less than 12 months, wants to bring the states into line with the philosophies behind the world champion Australian team.
"It's important for state players and state teams to understand why and how we're playing the game," Buchanan said.
"We'll use this camp to make sure we understand where we're going and what skills and tactics we need to get there.
"That will form the basis of Australian Test and one-day cricket -- how we're playing it and how we should be playing it.
"It doesn't mean we're all going to play the same but we should all have the same direction."
Coaches and players will discuss the best ways to play first-class and one-day matches, with a special emphasis on Australia's World Cup title defence in 2003.
"If we look from a batting point of view for example, we'll discuss batting orders, how to play during certain stages of the game and maybe things like rotating strike," Buchanan said.
"From a bowling perspective, we might look at the best types of balls to bowl from a consistency point of view.
"They're probably all questions we've asked and answered ourselves but now we'll have the current players and coaches there to talk about it."
Buchanan wants the camp to become an annual event, but he admitted the hectic international calendar could sometimes work against the concept.
The inaugural camp from October 31 to November 3 squeezes between rounds of the Sheffield Shield and national one-day competition, leading into the first Test against the West Indies in Brisbane from November 23.
The 25 players contracted by the Australian Cricket Board will attend along with Sheffield Shield wicketkeepers Wade Seccombe and Brad Haddin.
Mail Cricket Editor
