Haddin’s form shifts focus back on Symonds

 

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By Brett McKay, 3 Dec 2008 Brett McKay is a Roar Expert

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 Andrew Symonds, Australia A, Australian captain, Australian Cricket, Cricket, Matthew Hayden, Queensland, Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, South Australia

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While the cricket world waits with anticipation to see what England will do in in regards to the sensitive situation in Mumbai (which with respect, they’re entitled to think long and hard about), eyes and ears searched for on-field action and, happily, found a swashbuckling Brad Haddin in Adelaide.

Anyone who can recall Haddin’s first foray onto the Australian cricket scene in the late nineties will remember a super-talented ‘keeper fresh out of the Australian Under 19’s playing every shot possible for the Canberra Comets during their brief stint in the then Mercantile Mutual Cup.

Certainly NSW did: they snapped him up as a back-up to Phil Emery almost immediately.

So while Haddin’s breakthrough innings on Sunday was no surprise to many, there may well now be a group of four former cricketers whose job as national selectors has just become that much harder again.

As if it wasn’t already.

The selectors’ focus now surely has to look at form, and particularly, the form of Andrew Symonds.

For Symonds, three less-than-ideal events occurred during the Second Test in Adelaide:

1. An initially dubious umpiring decision that quickly proved to be correct (thankyou Hotspot, and remember where you read the suggestion of this technology helping umpires first)
2. Brad Haddin coming in and smashing a maiden Test century, and
3. Shane Watson’s timely double of 7/69 and 81 (from 83 balls) for Queensland against South Australia in Brisbane.

All three events have done few Symonds few favours, and it’s probably timely that he found himself in a delicate situation not of his doing, because it could well bring out the match-wining beast within.

I hope it does.

Already this week, I’ve read that Symonds is playing for his cricketing life, and that his great mate Matthew Hayden could be a better bet to make the trip to England next year. Personally, I think the executioners have been lined up a little too hastily.

And it would seem the Australian captain agrees with me too, although he is clearly the No.1 ticket-holder of the Symonds fan club.

Commenting after the Adelaide Test, Ricky Ponting said, “I think Andrew is going fine, I am not worried about his form. Symo’s not had a bad game [in Adelaide]. He got a decision that probably could’ve gone either way here, and all of a sudden everyone’s asking questions about him.”

But you do have to wonder how much latitude Symonds will get, especially now that Haddin and Watson are becoming the players they were always going to be. For how much longer can Australia carry a number six batsman not making too many runs, and not bowling anywhere near as effectively as he was this time last year?

There is one other factor firmly in Symonds’ favour however, and it’s one that I have bought up in previous weeks: bums on seats.

There’s no doubt crowds flock to see Andrew Symonds, and at his best, there’s not too many better sights in the game. Cricket Australia accountants will literally be banking on his return to form.

Steve Waugh always used to say that Australia could generally carry at least one player in something of a form drought, and that would still seem to be the case now. I tend to think that Ponting and Australia will continue to support and carry Symonds as long as required, but perhaps only while those around him continue their run of form.

Should Australia struggle at home this summer, however, or should those around Symonds in the batting order go into a similar form trough, watch for the executioners (and maybe even accountants) to return to their marks.

Follow Brett McKay on Twitter: @BMcSport

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