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Cricket Australia set out to reinvent the wheel by appointing Trevor Hohns for a second stint as chairman of selectors.
Hohns’ first chairmanship from 1996 to 2006 coincided with one of Australia’s golden eras with the quality of Mark Taylor, Michael Slater, Matt Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and Jason Gillespie.
A two-year-old with a pin could have picked a world-class side from that lot.
But Hohns made a name for himself as a hatchet man setting out to end careers before their time, as if to justify his position.
He ended Taylor, Slater, and Mark Waugh’s careers, but he couldn’t close in on Steve Waugh who called time when he was good and ready.
But the decade-long gap hasn’t dented Hohns’ hatchet career, with an exception.
Hohns had to read head down from his script yesterday. If the chairman of selectors can’t even ad-lib his thoughts about the Test team he has just picked, how the hell is he the chairman?
He named the 12 for the pink ball day-night Test in Adelaide against South Africa by wielding his hatchet to dismiss six from the Hobart debacle – Joe Burns, Adam Voges, Callum Ferguson, Peter Nevill, Joe Mennie, and Mitchell Marsh.
The six replacements – Matt Renshaw (debut), Peter Handscomb (debut), Nic Maddinson (debut), Matthew Wade, Jackson Bird, and Chadd Sayers on debut as well.
The squad
David Warner (vc)
Matt Renshaw
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith (c)
Peter Handscomb
Nic Maddinson
Matthew Wade
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Nathan Lyon
Jackson Bird
Chadd Sayers
That’s a mighty big hatchet, even for Hohns.
So what do these selections mean?
There are six lefties in the top eight, a record in itself – only skipper Smith and Handscomb are right handers.
The selection of keeper Wade over Nevill is a disgrace.
Nevill is by far the better gloveman, although the missed stumping in Hobart wasn’t indicative of Nevill’s ability.
Standby for Wade blowing many chances. The only reason he’s there is he’s the better batsman when he fires.
It’s the when that’s the unknown – there are many quiet times between drinks.
Wade’s selection is a switch from the norm, which is a keeper who can bat.
In Wade’s case, he’s a back-stop who can bat.
The selection of Bird and Sayers gives the side far better pace clout with Starc and Hazlewood, with the wicketless offie Nathan Lyon to offset the pace.
He can count himself lucky to have survived Hohns’ hatchet, with left armer Steve O’Keefe and outstanding young leggie Adam Zampa breathing down his neck.
The next interesting question is who will carry the drinks in Adelaide?
It can’t be a paceman, leaving the attack short-handed and unbalanced, so it would have to be a new batsman.
Renshaw’s inked into open, although Khawaja could do the job, so that leaves either Handscomb or Maddinson for 12th man duties when both deserve to play.
But hold the phone, there’s an ideal alternative to cover all bases.
Handscomb keeps wickets for the Vics when Wade is away, and he not only does a top job, but he’s ten times the batsman Wade could ever hope to be.
Make Wade 12th man, and the Hohns hatchet team will be better balanced.