The cricket caravan travels far and wide at a dizzying clip these days. One day at the “G” the next at Wanderers.
It seems like only last week that the Australians were celebrating wildly among themselves in the hallowed dressing rooms at the SCG their ego saving, nail biting win over the Proteas (well, up until Lara commanded her Michael to leave join her for champers).
And yet this Thursday the protagonists will be each other throats again – at proper cricket that is.
I haven’t heard any local punters sigh that they are sick of it, the contest between numbers one and two in world cricket has been compelling through our southern summer.
It should be as riveting a few thousand kilometers west . The football seasons can wait a few months more until we sort out this ‘number one in the world’ issue, but can Australia really turn around a declining if not plummeting form line?
New men have been called to the trenches, some fresh faced kids with hardly a whisker to part and others who are nearing 40 yet have not walked into a Test match battle.
Both Philip Hughes (the wrinkle-less one) and Bryce McGain (he really should wear a beard) will mostly likely debut at Wanderers. There have only been two openers selected for the tour and only one specialist spinner, obviously done that way so competition between players for spots won’t distract them from their goals.
Very consistent selection philosophy from the four wisemen I must say. Whatever you do, DON’T challenge anyone for their position, it could make them nervous and therefore not play to their potential.
It’s a revolutionary system that is the direct opposite of ‘survival of the fittest’, that’s been working so brilliantly since McGrath and Warne retired.
Bryce McGain might argue that since he is the only legspinner left standing in Australian cricket (yes, I know Cullen Bailly has just gotten back into the Redbacks Shield team after a long absence) so he is the fittest!
A debut at the batting paradise of a postage stamp in Johannesburg against the inform home batting lineup will a challenge of the highest quality for McGain. If bowling might be tough for one new man then batting may be a bit easier for Hughes, if he can get past the early bombardment from an attack that were too good for Hayden et al on Australian pitches.
Hughes is certainly being thrown in at the deep end when the selection of a tested veteran like Chris Rogers would have been far more sensible. No doubt Hughes is a great prospect and he may make the biggest step without too much trouble just as his opposite J P Duminy has done, but even given a couple of more years in first class cricket and maybe some Australia ‘A’ tours he would eventually get a lengthy Test career started.
If he fails in this series where do Australia go for openers? A hopefully fit Phil Jaques or a man with a mountain of runs on English wickets, Chris Rogers?
South Africa have made the unenviable decision to leave their vice captain on the bench. Ashwell Prince is a very good batsmen who has steadily improved at Test level to become reliable against all types of bowling on all varieties of pitch and yet his hand injury before the Perth Test brought forth a debutante who has taken to Test match cricket like a research scientist to a carbon emissions project.
Australia once boasted of such great depth that Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Stuart MacGill, Brad Hodge and Mike Hussey could get nowhere near the first XI.
Times have changed, and the world champion mace may change hands as well unless the Australian rookies get their acts together in a real hurry.
Recommend this story.
February 23rd 2009 @ 10:45am
drewster said | February 23rd 2009 @ 10:45am | Report comment
Yes Geoff, The rookies wil have to do a good job or Australia will be embarresed by the end of the tour. North made a fair start in the warm up game with twin 50′s no and a 6 wicket bag in the second innings which you would think will give him a start in the first test, Hughes got 50 in the second innings, although against a side not exactly packed with international players but a fair return for a first hit out.
If Clarkes back doesn’t come good, Then What? Talk about a bare cupboard (Replacement batsmen on tour).
Good Luck Boys! I’ll be cheering (and praying) for ya!
February 23rd 2009 @ 9:52pm
O'Neill said | February 23rd 2009 @ 9:52pm | Report comment
Absolutley correct were the selectors to pick Phil Hughs regardless of how he performs in the up coming tests. He one of the best performed domestic batsman and more importantly young and enthusiastic. If they had of picked Rogers i’m certain you would have called the selectors gutless for not going with Hughs.
Your opinions are well founded and mostly accurate, but try writing a positive piece at some stage.
February 24th 2009 @ 8:39am
sheek said | February 24th 2009 @ 8:39am | Report comment
Historically, Australian cricket has tended to introduce young players in mostly desperate times. During the carnage of the 4-1 shellacking in 1928-29, the selectors introduced 20-year-old Don Bradman & 19-year-old Archie Jackson.
In 1970-71, following a 4-0 drubbing by the Saffies & during a 2-0 loss to the Poms, the selectors introduced 23-year-old Rod Marsh, 22-year-old Greg Chappell & 21-year-old Dennis Lillee.
Of course, the selectors have also selected young guys during good times. As the Aussies were ascending in 1991-92, they gave 22-year-old Shane Warne his spurs, despite avergae first class results up to that time.
Phil Hughes & Marcus North, both particularly, will energise the Aussies cricket team, reinvigorating the senior men. I can’t say the same for Dean Bollinger & Andy McDonald, who frankly, I don’t see as long term prospects. But Peter Siddle is another with a bright future.
That’s the way it goes, some debutants go onto great careers, others will fade quickly. Back to 1970-71, Marsh, Chappell & Lillee were the debutants to forge great careers.
Spinners Terry Jenner & Kerry O’Keeffe enjoyed several years in the sun without either reaching great heights. But other debutants from 1970-71, Alan ‘Froggy’ Thomson, Ross Duncan, Tony Dell & Ken Eastwood, all faded quickly.