Aussie ODI squad hits the ball park

Australia have taken the opportunity to compare notes with the New York Mets during their Big Apple stopover en route to the Caribbean.

Captain Steve Smith, George Bailey and Aaron Finch were among those who took part in a different sort of batting practice in New York City on Sunday, attending a Mets training session where they had a chance to chat to Mets hitting coach Pat Roessier and gain some insights ahead of their ODI tri-series against West Indies and South Africa.

The Australia ODI players, joined by fill-in coach Justin Langer and team staff, also had a chance to take in the Mets’ Major League Baseball clash with Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night.

"It is a great experience to be at the game and to have the chance to watch the batting practice up close beforehand," Smith told News Ltd.

"It would have been perfect to have a hit ourselves but with a series coming up we settled for just watching instead.

"I played some softball as a kid but didn’t play any baseball. I don’t follow the game closely but just seeing how different sportsmen go about their business was well worth the effort as you never stop learning.

"There’s obviously a bit of crossover as cricket and baseball are both bat and ball sports but there are some different skills between the two. I don’t think we could just walk out there and hit home runs straight away like these guys but the same would be true of the baseball batters trying to deal with the bowlers we face."

Australia’s ODI squad spent the weekend in the Big Apple, giving them a chance to refresh ahead of the second leg of their long journey to the Caribbean ahead of their first ODI against West Indies in Guyana on Friday.

"We've been able to use our few days in New York to assemble as a squad following time off for some and the IPL for others and it means when we get to the Caribbean we’ll be over jet lag and ready to get going straight away," Smith said.

IPL champion captain David Warner, James Faulkner, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Matthew Wade will link up with the squad in Guyana.