Selectors look to the future in cricket’s shorter forms

 

Roar Rookie

By Andy Fleming, 9 Jan 2009 Andy Fleming is a Roar Rookie

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The Aussie cricket selectors have decided to look to the future with the selection of players most likely to be involved in Twenty20 World cup in England this year and the 2011 World Cup.

The squads chosen:

Twenty20 squad
Ricky Ponting (34)(capt), Michael Hussey (33), David Hussey (31) Ben Hilfenhaus (25) James Hopes (30) Nathan Bracken (31) Brad Haddin (31)(wk), Shaun Marsh (25), Shaun Tait(25), David Warner (22), Ryan Harris (29), Cameron White (25), Nathan Hauritz (27).

One-day squad
Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke (27), Brad Haddin (wk), James Hopes, Nathan Bracken, Shaun Marsh, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Cameron White, Shaun Tait, Peter Siddle (24)

Now, the selectors overlooked the fact that in two years time, half of the squad chosen will over the age of 29 and with those players also playing Test cricket will suffer due to the schedule in the lead-up of the 2011 World Cup.

The selectors made the tough choice in dropping Matthew Hayden.

Tthey now will need to decide the future of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, and also the injured Brett Lee, in either playing Test cricket or the shorter form because the work load will not produce high performance consistently and the team will suffer.

Ricky Ponting scored 278 runs in 13 innings last year, with 193 runs scored in two innings with 124 against India and 69 against West Indies.

So in the other 11 innings, he averaged less than 8 runs. This is not form that suggests he still up to the requirements of One Day Interntional cricket.

So I think it’s time that he steps aside and lets Australia promote another young player into the international scene.