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Khawaja, not Hughes, must open in Perth

Roar Guru
8th December, 2010
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Roar Guru
8th December, 2010
35

I have been very concerned by reports and assumptions in the last 24 hours that, with Simon Katich out for the series, Phil Hughes will logically come in to replace him. Ricky Ponting said as much yesterday, and news reports have confirmed this.

Many consider that Hughes was unfairly discarded during the last Ashes series in England, and this is the perfect chance to bring him back in, as a long term prospect. Hughes is exciting and compelling to watch, and did very well in his first few two tests in South Africa. There seems a groundswell of emotion supporting his return to the team.

However, Hughes was dropped not only for his failures in the first two tests in England, but because he was made to look uncomfortable the whole time he was at the crease. The selectors then controversially promoted Watson to opener to replace him.

It is accepted that Hughes has problems with his technique, but his supporters suggest his record is more important than technique. So let’s look at his record.

This season, he has made first class scores of 5, 2, 81, 12, 39, 48 and 1 – that’s 188 runs at 26.

In tests, since his twin centuries in Durban 21 months ago, he has scored 33, 32, 36, 4, 17, 0, 37 and 20, until a breezy 86no when chasing 100-odd for victory in the 4th innings against NZ. So before that pressure-free 86no, he had scored 179 runs at 23 in his last eight Test innings, with no scores over 37.

On that basis, Hughes’ form over the last 18 months does not demand selection. He has worked on his technique, but still has significant flaws; flaws which need to be ironed out before he faces a quality test attack in pressure situations. The single main cause of his technical flaws is his back (left) foot, which stays to leg instead of getting back and across, and the important result is that his head is moving when he hits the ball.

The problem with the back foot means:

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• He is too side-on to play effectively on the leg side, playing around his body or his front pad;
• He is too side on with the short ball, and we all know how he struggles with that, hopping around and looking uncomfortable. Remember the next test is in Perth;
• His head is not getting across to the line of the ball that is short of a length outside off. This means he struggles to deal with any away movement, because his eyes are not behind the line of the ball.

Contrast this with Usman Khawaja. He looks solid, steady and in control at the crease. Having been anointed as the next in line, this season he has justified that with 424 first class runs at a healthy 53, and that includes the twin failures for Australia A against England, when he was unlucky to get two jaffas early on.

Khawaja normally bats at three and Hughes is an opener, however Australia has a strong recent history of converting openers. Justin Langer, Simon Katich himself and, of course, Shane Watson all batted further down the order before being tried as opener. If you’re good enough, you can do it, and a number three has to be able to open.

The selectors haven’t got a huge amount right lately, though they can be proud of the promotion of Watson to opener and the selection of Harris, our best bowler in the Adelaide debacle.

I hope they have the sense to look at form and technique, instead of being swayed by public emotion.

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