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If selecting a sporting team was easy, then all of us genius lounge lizards would be employed doing something we love – and probably stuffing it more often than the other people we criticise.
The Australian cricket team’s chairman of selectors John Inverarity has come in for tremendous criticism for omitting George Bailey, selecting Shaun Marsh, omitting Cameron White, and on it goes.
I don’t agree with the sacking of Bailey, who I think had the goods and should have been persevered with for at least two more Tests. I also suspect Bailey’s sacking was made against the wishes of coach Lehmann.
I also didn’t agree with the fast bowler rotation policy, which Inverarity endorsed, even though he may not have initiated it.
While I don’t agree with Bailey’s dumping, however, I’m not going to make any personal attacks on Inverarity.
He’s in the thick of it, watching and assessing cricketers at close quarters 24/7.
For those of you who who have been on the planet only a short time, you might be surprised, even shocked, that Inverarity has a long history of exceptional contribution to Australian cricket.
So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to enlighten you about Inverarity. Disagree with him by all means, but understand he has more cricketing knowledge than most of us combined.
Inverarity was born in 1944 and made his debut for Western Australia as a teenager in the summer of 1962/63.
He has one of the longest careers of any Australian first-class cricketer, extending from 1962/63 to 1984/85.
He played for Western Australia 1962/63-1978/79 and for South Australia 1979/80-84/85.
His 159 Sheffield Shield appearances is second only to Jamie Cox’s (Tasmania) 161. Darren Lehmann (SA and Victoria) is third with 147 appearances.
Inverarity played in Shield winning sides for Western Australia in 1967/68, 71/72, 72/73, 74/75, 76/77 (partially before taking up a teaching posting in UK) and 77/78.
He also played in Sout Australia’s Shield winning side of 1981/82, where he was an invaluable lieutenant to skipper David Hookes.
Inverarity captained Western Australia to their wins in 1971/72, 72/73, 74/75 and 77/78.
Although he only played six Tests with modest success, he remains one of less than 450 players to wear the baggy green over 137 years of Test cricket.
Even if you play just a single Test, or tour with the Australian cricket team, you are a champion.
Inverarity played his six Tests between 1968-72, touring England in both those years. He also played two internationals against the Rest of the World in 1971/72.
During the ’70s, Inverarity was widely considered the most astute tactical leader in Australian cricket – even more so than Test captain Ian Chappell, which was saying something.
He is a qualified teacher who rose to the position of headmaster of several prominent schools in Perth, Adelaide and the UK.
His daughter Alison was an outstanding high jumper who qualified for three successive Olympics – 1992, 1996 and 2000. She finished a highly distinguished eighth in 1992.
By sheer weight of his outstanding longevity and achievement in cricket, Inverarity knows a thing or two about the game.
I dare say a whole lot more than most of us lounge lizards.
So by all means disagree with him, but understand also that he probably knows a hell of a lot more about cricket than the rest of us.
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