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This summer has seen the Australian selectors make some gutsy calls in all forms of the game.
As expected, some have paid off – and some have not.
But there is no secret behind which men are performing when given the chance.
Youngsters Matthew Renshaw and Peter Handscomb were added to the Test team on the back of tremendous first class form, in a bid to lift the Aussies after two miserable losses to the Proteas to start the summer.
Unsurprisingly, the pair dominated, assisting a spirited comeback from the green and gold to claim four consecutive wins since.
While Renshaw and Handscomb enjoyed their well earned success, the smoky selection in Nic Maddinson failed to make his mark.
Maddinson is a short-format specialist, hence the risk backfiring.
The selectors did not learn from that mistake when it came to the ODI series, picking Billy Stanlake and Chris Lynn on the back of their raw T20 excitement.
The underdone duo both failed when given the chance.
It is proven that players are best when picked in form, but that form must come in the correct format of the game.
So why have the selectors fallen into the same trap yet again, booking Sam Heazlett a flight to New Zealand for the next One Day International series, without a single one-day match under his belt?
Sure, the selectors love finding a hidden gem, but surely they can make an educated guess as to who he may be.
While caught up in the underdog mentality, they have over looked a ‘no-name’ in as good a form as any, and there is no logical explanation as to why.
This man goes by the name Daniel Hughes.
Hughes – the 27-year-old from New South Wales – fits the bill as a ‘roughy’ and is amidst the best summer of his career.
Clearly the Big Bash form is important to the selectors, and Hughes ticks this box.
Despite having just 20 overs to bat, Hughes has shown he is willing to occupy the crease and build an innings.
This patience on display is a feather in his T20 cap, but an even bigger tick for his ODI claims.
In a depleted Sydney Sixers batting line up, Hughes made 305 runs for the tournament at an average of 43.57, single handedly guiding them to the grand final. With their international recruits coming and going, the Sixers could not have achieved such results without him.
If that’s not impressive enough, the selectors should take a look at his one-day form, because after all, that is the format to be played.
In October’s Matador One Day Cup, Hughes finished third on the leaderboard for most runs, with a stunning tally of 386 and average of 64.33.
Hughes times the ball well with a great ability to hit the boundary.
But most importantly, he is capable of holding up an end if the young Aussie side suffers a batting collapse without their skipper and his deputy.
To cap off his incredible form, Hughes has scored in excess of 30 runs in five of his past six first class innings, demonstrating his ability to score in any conditions, while being difficult to dismiss.
So the real question is, why was Hughes over-looked?
Perhaps the research was inadequate, because no sane individual could possibly opt for Heazlett over Hughes for this upcoming series.
Hughes is both a ready made star and a long term prospect.
Whatever the current selection process is, it must be flawed.
Hughes is the man for the now, and when he is finally given a chance, he will perform.
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