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Hurrah! Let waves of joy sweep over this cricket-loving nation, because finally a group of selectors have adopted a clear-headed approach.
Eschewed are the old methods of selection that resulted in a batting order with a spine as firm as the silken tofu in Peter Siddle’s lunch box; today the team is bravely studded with a mix of youth and stability.
Hopefully the cricketing hierarchy will ensure that those entrusted with the much treasured but hitherto lightly distributed baggy green – the proud symbol that has been handed out as nonchalantly as one might give away business cards – are made aware of what is required of them.
Should this brave but risky new direction fail to bring the desired results, our selectors ought to explain clearly why players are being discarded and what they need to do to return.
It probably won’t happen, though.
One could be forgiven for thinking that with the exit of Rod Marsh a new era of selection practices would dawn, and indeed it would appear so given the new-look team – but those decisions were likely made before Marsh’s exit, brought about by the disgrace known as the second Test in Hobart.
Even if this isn’t the case, the selection panel of today bears striking resemblance to the selection panel of last week given the only difference is Marsh’s absence. So despite what appears to be an exciting era of selections based on youth and promise, it is now apparent that we will dish up the same bizarre and inexplicable selection decisions we have become accustomed to.
Case in point: Joe Mennie.
Much has already been said about the bizarre circumstances surrounding the exclusion of poor Joe. Three players were not required to return to Sheffield Shield cricket following the Hobart Test: Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Mennie, but logic should have dictated that Joe’s place in the Test team was safe if one used deductive reasoning as follows:
All players not required for shield cricket following the self-immolation of the Australian cricket team in Hobart will not get a chance to press their claims for the Adelaide Test; players not given a chance to press their claims for the Adelaide Test do not need to because they are safe; Joe Mennie was not required to play shield cricket; therefore Joe Mennie is safe.
That said, the national selection panel and logic have had a strained relationship for some time. I repeat: Joe Mennie.
Between the severe embarrassment in Perth and the second Test in Hobart the selection panel made two changes: Callum Ferguson for Mitch Marsh to strengthen the batting line up and Joe Mennie for Peter Siddle to, uh, strengthen the batting line up.
The decision to bring in Ferguson, though questionable, was logically sound – the batting was weak, Ferguson has performed well in shield in the past three years, and Mitch Marsh has made no significant impact with neither bat nor ball.
The decision to bring in Mennie was something else. Joe may be a decent shield bowler, but his returns in the ODI series in South Africa were disappointing to say the least.
When the selectors should have opted for Jackson Bird with his Test experience and on his home track they instead plumped for Joe because of his better batting record – and of course those ten runs in Hobart in the first innings made all the difference!
In fact the difference between Mennie’s and Bird’s batting averages in first class cricket is about seven runs – so, yes, Joe appears to be a better batsman. However, the difference in their bowling averages at first-class level shows that for every ten wickets Bird gives away 246.3 runs whereas Joe gives away 272.4 runs.
Effectively the panel’s decision was to buy seven runs and give the opposition a 26-run head start in the process.
One can only imagine the discussion amongst the selectors over the past few months.
From, “Hi Joe, we’d like you to come to South Africa on the ODI tour,” to, “Bad luck about the ODI tour, but we’d like you to come to Hobart for the second test. Don’t forget your batting gear!”.
Then, “Hi Joe, don’t worry about Hobart, it was a batting issue. Mitch and Josh are rested from the shield round and we think you should too. See you in Adelaide,” to “So what about Joe? Well, he let us down with the bat in Hobart. Jackson Bird made a good thirty odd in shield, though,” and finally, “Sorry, Joe, you’re out. You probably should’ve played shield”.
Though I may seem to be saying Joe wasn’t good enough for selection, this is not a criticism of him – the real issue here is how the selectors have handled the entire Joe Mennie issue.
Time will tell whether the new look Test team can restore some pride in the baggy green, but whether the selection panel can restore some pride in whatever headwear it is that they favour is a question probably best left to Joe Mennie, on a seven second delay.
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