Former New Zealand coach Warren Lees has launched a broadside at Australian cricket authorities over the non-selection of marquee players Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist for the Chappell-Hadlee Series.
Lees, a former test and ODI wicket-keeper and now a radio commentator, said the international trend towards coveting theWorld Cup at the expense of all other competitions was starting to become a "blight on the game".
His comments followed those of former New Zealand captain and batting great Martin Crowe, who yesterday said the Australian selectors might have blundered in not keeping their squad together so close to the World Cup.
"I think it's a real shame that a series like the Chappell-Hadlee is being downplayed just because of the World Cup," said Lees.
"You couldn't find two bigger names in transtasman rivalry than the Chappells and Hadlees. It's very disappointing to see what's supposed to be a symbol of a great history so diminished and minimalised."
However, he said the finger of blame needed to be pointed at all international teams who indulged in World Cup "tunnel vision".
"The trend for all teams these days is to prioritise the World Cup to such an extent that everything else becomes an irrelevance, and I don't think that's healthy.
"New Zealand did exactly the same thing earlier in the summer against Sri Lanka when they rested Stephen Fleming and Shane Bond. It's as if nothing between the World Cups matters any more."
Lees said he found it particularly galling that the Australian squad had been deliberately weakened when authorities on both sides of the Tasman kept banging on about "the great New Zealand-Australia rivalry", and the chance to develop cricket's equivalent of the Bledisloe Cup.
"It's about time people remembered where the Pontings and the Gilchrists of this world came from," he said. "They grew out of a culture and environment that was developed, to a large extent, by players like Ian and Greg Chappell, and Richard Hadlee."
Crowe was reported as saying yesterday that he was astonished at the omission of Australia's captain and vice-captain at a time when momentum and continuity were critical.
"I find it astonishing that their two captains aren't going to be there in the final build-up," said Crowe. "It's akin to telling Neil Armstrong to skip the last week of training before his moon-walk. It's great news for the rest of the world. I really believe this could be a massive blunder."
Chappell-Hadlee
* Game 1: Wellington, Friday
* Game 2: Auckland, Sunday
* Game 3: Hamilton, February 20
