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Only days after Australia had regained the number one Test ranking for the first time since August 2009, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland and his board have confused us once more.
Out went selection chairman John Inverarity on his own volition, with Rod Marsh promoted to the chair.
Brilliant.
Marsh will communicate with the Australian cricket fraternity with his usual no-nonsense approach, not like Inveraity who always looked and sounded like a headmaster talking to the school assembly.
His replacement will be Mark Waugh.
Brilliant.
He brings to the selection table a wide range of visionary skills, over and above the undisputed fact he was one of the world’s most gifted batsmen, and without peer as a fieldsmen. The third selector will be national coach Darren Lehmann, who has been the most instrumental in getting the baggy greens back to number one.
Brilliant.
From there Cricket Australia has undone all their good work through three unforgivable decisions.
First up, dropping Andy Bichel as the fourth selector and replacing him with Trevor Hohns, the hatchet man of the panel between 1997 and 2006. This is a double bunger of poor decision-making.
Even though we don’t know what goes on behind the closed selection door, Bichel was, and is, highly respected by all and sundry. Hohns isn’t.
There was great rejoicing in cricket circles when Hohns called it a day eight years ago to concentrate on his business interests.
Why Cricket Australia saw fit to potentially upset the equilibrium of the panel defies description when there’s Geoff Lawson, Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey to pick from, and many more if push turned to shove.
The selection of Hohns was bad, but the non-recognition of Dennis Lillee was worse.
The legend couldn’t come to terms with Cricket Australia’s latest contractual offer, so Lillee said ‘stuff you’.
Lillee has been instrumental with Lehmann to get Mitchell Johnson back on the elite track. He was one of the major reasons why Australian beat England to regain the Ashes, and beat South Africa to regain the number one spot.
Lillees don’t grow on trees. Cricket Australia just can’t pull a leaf off an elite tree and find another Lillee.
He is arguably the greatest fast bowler Australia has ever produced, although there are those who believe Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller, Jeff Thomson and Glenn McGrath deserve that honour, and with valid reasoning.
My lasting memory of Dennis Keith Lillee was at the SCG in 1973 against Pakistan.
Lillee had been hospitalised in traction for two days with stress fractures in his back. But Australia was in trouble on the final day with Pakistan requiring just 159 runs to win, and all wickets intact.
Lillee defied medical opinion, got off his hospital bed and bowled 23 overs straight, while Bob Massie and Max Walker bowled 23 overs between them at the other end.
For sheer courage and tenacity, the Lillee feat takes some beating.
The record book shows Walker took 6-15 off 16, and Massie 1-19 off seven. Lillee’s figures were 3-68 off his 23, and Australia won by 52 runs.
Dennis Lillee must never be treated as a monetary pawn. Find a happy medium, but keep him involved with Australia’s pacemen, he’s a priceless asset.