He might not be a part of the injury-hit Australian side touring India for the ongoing ODIs, but Adam Gilchrist didn’t mince his words while pointing out the futility of a seven-match series on Tuesday.

The former Aussie wicketkeeper-batsman dubbed the seven-match series as “awkward” and said: “I don’t think anyone feels that’s an appropriate number of games. In a commercial sense, it obviously works.

“But even fans are voicing their disapproval about it. I believe too much cricket is being played,” he added.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting had earlier questioned the idea behind a seven-match series saying five ODIs should have served the purpose. He was also opposed to the idea of playing a series just after the Champions League where some of the key Australian players were representing their club teams.

Lack of recovery time or adequate rest was a predominant concern and the ill effects are already showing in the depleted Aussie squad.

Gilchrist hoped to see Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni bat higher up the order. “Dhoni is such a dangerous player. I’d love to see him bat up the order. In the shorter format of the game, you want your best players to face as many deliveries as possible.

“I would encourage him to play his natural game and trust his instincts,” he said.

Gilchrist implored people to be patient with the Champions League T20.

“Champions League is a fantastic concept. We all accept that the IPL just exploded onto the scene and delivered an amazing product for fans and players. It doesn’t always work out like that. The Champions League has the potential to be a keenly followed competition,” he said.