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What’s a Phil Hughes to do?

20th January, 2014
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Phil Hughes. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)
Roar Guru
20th January, 2014
54
2714 Reads

Phil Hughes should consider getting a tattoo of Homer Simpson’s prophetic words of advice – “You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is: never try.”

You see, Australia just announced its Test squad for the upcoming series in South Africa.

Shane Watson has moved to number six and the number three spot is now vacant.

Who is next in line?

In my book, all roads lead to Hughes. In John Inverarity’s muddled book of riddles, it points to either Alex Doolan or Shaun Marsh.

The question I have of the national selection panel is, “What the hell is the Shield competition for?”

It’s obviously not there as a place for people to make tons of runs and force their way into the Test team – Hughes’ three centuries from five games with an average of 61 and a highest score of 204 this season is testament to that.

Making over 8,000 first class runs by age 25 also clearly doesn’t matter.

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What about the fact the young man with the dodgy technique has an average of 53 in South Africa with two centuries and a top score of 160?

Didn’t chairman John say the latest squad was picked to suit the local conditions?

So what do you have to do to make the Test team as a batsman? Make runs in an ODI series against India?

It worked for George Bailey. He now leaves Test cricket with five wins from five matches and shares a batting world record with Brian Lara. Career fulfilled.

You could get in trouble, do nothing in Shield and still tease the selectors with a silky technique.

It has worked again for Marsh. Remove the first bit and it worked for Usman Khawaja, though even he didn’t do his homework once.

Doolan? Who knows what he did to earn his place.

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So, Mr Hughes, I can only give you this advice.

Do what Kevin Pietersen did, claim your home country’s selection policies are flawed, and run off to England.

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