Marsh Cup clatter provides ideal T20 tune-up: Richardson

Even during the final frenetic overs of this week's Marsh One-Day Cup match for South Australia, as Queensland looked to close their batting innings with a clatter, Kane Richardson found his thoughts drifting to the imminent start of the international season.

It's not that the seamer, a member of Australia's squad at this year's ODI World Cup in the UK, was distracted from his duties as the 'death overs' specialist as the Bulls threatened to post a hefty total.

Rather, Richardson was musing as to how valuable his Gabba experience – trying to quell Test hero Marnus Labuschagne and big-hitter Ben Cutting in full flight – might prove in T20 internationals against Sri Lanka and Pakistan over the next fortnight.

Such is the nature of the men's international schedule this Australian summer, the opening T20 match (against Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval on Sunday afternoon) arrives with most of the home team's players having played little 20-over cricket for almost a year.

Australia's most recent men's T20 internationals were the pair of victories they scored over India at Visakhapatnam and Bangalore last February, and the current domestic season to date has featured first-class (Marsh Sheffield Shield) and 50-over (Marsh One-Day Cup) fixtures.

By contrast, Sri Lanka competed a 3-0 sweep of their T20I series against Pakistan in Lahore earlier this month and will begin acclimatising to Australia conditions with a 20-over match against a Prime Minister's XI in Canberra on Wednesday evening.

But Richardson believes there is not a vast disparity in the skills needed to succeed in T20 cricket and those that underpin the 50-over game, of which each Australian state outfit has played five so far this summer.

And to help him prepare for the three T20Is against Sri Lanka (in Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne) and the three against Pakistan that immediately follow (Sydney, Canberra, Perth), he saw Wednesday's assignment at the Gabba as similar to that likely awaiting him in the 20-over format.

"Bowling to Ben Cutting, and when Marnus (Labuschagne) was on a hundred at the death, that's perfect practice," said Richardson, who finished that game conceding just 38 runs from his 10 overs.

"That's what I thought at the time.

"We've got the second T20 there (at the Gabba), so it was useful to get back into that groove of bowling death and even at the start (of the innings).

"It's all pretty similar kind of stuff - it's just four overs (in T20 cricket) instead of 10."

As leading wicket-taker in BBL08 with 24 victims, taking a wicket every 13.71 balls bowled with an economy rate of less than for champions Melbourne Renegades, Richardson might be considered a certain starter for Australia under regular circumstances.

But as the 28-year-old points out, last summer's men's international schedule precluded Test and ODI players taking part in the BBL.

And the inclusion of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc for the Sri Lanka and Pakistan series demonstrably changes the pecking order.

In addition, proven T20 quicks Andrew Tye and Billy Stanlake are also vying for inclusion in the starting XI as players begin jockeying for spots ahead of next year's ICC T20 World Cup to be staged in Australia.

Consequently, Richardson is expecting Australia's training sessions at Adelaide Oval on Friday and Saturday to be competitive outings, particularly if his experience with the ODI squad earlier in the year provides a template.

"The training with Australia is so much more intense than state cricket and Big Bash cricket," he said.

"I'm in the squad, but there are some pretty good quicks in there, as usual with the Australian team.

"So it would just be nice to play some games and keep trying to get better.

"Justin (Langer, men's team coach) has been pretty adamant about blokes playing different roles, so if there's a role for me to play then hopefully I can do that."

Richardson admits that visualising his T20 role at the height of last Wednesday's Marsh Cup game was something different for him, as he rarely bothers to scan the playing schedule too far in advance.

Rather, he tends to rely on cues from his South Australia and national limited-overs teammate Alex Carey who, as Richardson observes, "seems to check the calendar more than anyone".

"He (Carey) said 'there's a T20 series coming up' about a month ago, and I'm not lying – I honestly don't know what's ahead," Richardson said.

"So I got the call, and I'm happy to be involved in the short form.

"The thing with T20 – everyone thinks it's really relaxed, and easy to get through because it's only four overs (maximum per bowler).

"But I actually pull up worse after a T20 game because of all the stuff you have to do in the field.

"You run so much more than in a Shield game - half of that you're just walking around kicking your heels.

"So it is quite intense, but the (Marsh Cup) one-dayers are a perfect lead-in because you then pull back with your bowling workloads but you have to make up for it in the field.

"I feel pretty well prepared."

Gillette T20 INTLs v Sri Lanka

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Sri Lanka squad: Lasith Malinga (c), Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Niroshan Dickwella, Dasun Shanaka, Shehan Jayasuriya, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Oshada Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha

October 27: First T20I, Adelaide Oval, 2pm (Fox & Kayo)

October 30: Second T20I, Gabba, 6.10pm (Fox & Kayo)

November 1: Third T20I, MCG, 7.10pm (Fox & Kayo)

Gillette T20 INTLs v Pakistan

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir.

November 3: First T20I, SCG, 2.30pm (Fox & Kayo)

November 5: Second T20I, Manuka Oval, 7.10pm (Fox & Kayo)

November 8: Third T20I, Perth Stadium, 4.30pm (Fox & Kayo)