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Australia must stick by the rotation policy

Roar Rookie
31st January, 2013
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Roar Rookie
31st January, 2013
11

The rotation policy being used by Cricket Australia has many doubters. Australian cricket fans look at the teams of other nations, who remain stable and have no need to rotate their players through fear of injury.

Cricket Australia has identified the rotation policy as being the most effective way of reducing injuries, particularly to fast bowlers.

The way the rotation policy must be used in the correct manner to provide positive and successful outcomes. How is a fringe player supposed to perform to their best if they know they are only a fill-in, a stop-gap until the preferred player comes back into the team?

How is a best XI player going to feel when his replacement bags a five for?

The Australian team needs to be picked dependent only on form, playing conditions and opposition.

Players, especially new players, need to be given time to find their feet on the daunting stage of Test cricket. There is no point throwing them in the deep end for one game then stamping their cards due to one bad performance.

The selectors need to give them a guaranteed two matches to allow them some breathing space.

With the Ashes fast approaching, we need to find our best six batsmen who will be able to withstand the swing of the duke ball and the spin of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar.

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The selectors have identified Matt Wade as the incumbent keeper to Brad Haddin, so they now must stick with him.

As for the fast bowlers, Australia has Mitch Starc, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Jackson Bird and Mitchell Johnson.

While will most likely all be used during the Ashes in England, the worrying factor is none of those bowlers are great swing technicians and may have trouble taking 20 wickets against a settled England line-up.

Due to the different conditions the Australians will face in India, the selectors should take a different approach to selecting the side for the Indian series.

Continue rotating the bowlers as they have been.

Perhaps leave Pattinson at home to continue his recovery from a side-strain and practice bowling with the duke ball.

Play Starc and Siddle in the first two Tests then let Bird and Johnson play in the final two Tests, allowing adequate rest at home as well as time to their perfect bowling.

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Decide and stick with your best five or six batsmen for the Ashes and let them become settled and confident in India. Play Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell and maybe even Steve O’Keefe to in all four Tests as auditions for the spinning spot in England.

If the Australian selectors can get the rotation policy right and show how it can unearth new talent, the policy will be branded a success. However, at the moment, players aren’t feeling secure in the team due to the unsettled line-up.

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