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In the 'real' battle this summer, it’s 1-0 to the Australian Test selectors

27th November, 2017
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Australia are poised to take a 1-0 series lead in South Africa. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Expert
27th November, 2017
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While Australians shouldn’t get too cocky after the convincing win in the first Test – it’s a long series after all – it does appear as though the battle between ‘armchair critics’ and the Australian selectors may just be the spicier clash this summer.

It’s a thankless job being a selector. You need to resign yourself to the fact that you will never, ever please all and sundry, as everyone has their own opinions on players, and the merits of them being selected.

Ask ten people for their Test team, and you may get ten different teams.

Such difference in opinion sparks great debate, and I’m sure the banter at the actual selection table is no different. That’s part and parcel of having a point of view on something with a lot of ‘moving parts’, emotion, and yes, even bias.

However, it did seem like there was a higher-than-normal amount of grumpy people after the announcement of the Australian squad for Brisbane.

The selectors’ three most contentious picks were undoubtedly Cameron Bancroft, Tim Paine, and in particular, Shaun Marsh.

Bancroft’s inclusion wasn’t the most controversial, as he was coming off some big scores, and was therefore in form. However, some felt that it was ridiculous that Matt Renshaw could lose his spot after scoring 184 in his last Test in Australia. Needless to say, they believed he deserved to be retained at the top of the order.

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The Paine selection certainly raised some eyebrows, if not some angry fists.

He wasn’t even keeping for his home state this summer, as ex-Text wicketkeeper Matt Wade had the gloves for Tasmania. Paine wasn’t quite tearing it up as a batsman either, with his last hundred coming in 2006, and his average below 20 last season.

As such, he was one of the most shocking selections in recent memory, and countless people lost their minds. Ex-Australian leg spinner Stu Macgill – who believed Peter Nevill should have been recalled – was even moved to label the selectors as “morons masquerading as mentors”.

Yet without a doubt, the name called out that caused the most negative reaction was Shaun Marsh.

The West Australian was recalled for the eighth time in his career, despite averaging just 39 in Shield cricket this year, and still being associated with the word ‘potential’, even though he is now 34.

Marsh is consistently a lightning rod for criticism, courtesy of his repeated failings with the bat, and to a lesser extent, his injuries. He’s been dubbed ‘extremely lucky’ by many in the cricketing fraternity, and, in what has become an annual tradition, his selection was met with plenty of bewilderment, not to mention vitriol.

I may or may not have been the ringleader in that department.

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There were even calls for the selection panel to lose their jobs.

The selectors can proudly look back at these three selections, and feel nothing but vindicated by their choices. For a few days, at least.

Renshaw may have been the incumbent opener, but sadly, the Queenslander had a string of low scores in the Sheffield Shield, and didn’t set the world on fire in India and Bangladesh. This left him susceptible to being dropped, and the selectors decided to do just that, replacing him with Bancroft.

Though the debutant fell for just five runs in the first innings, he compiled an excellent 82 not out in the second innings run chase, and looked composed and tough. He also displayed more shots that Renshaw appears to have in his arsenal.

Cam Bancroft walks off the field

While there were naturally question marks over his initial low score, it’s hard to give his debut Test anything but a big tick, and the selectors should be afforded the same assessment for picking him.

Though Paine could only manage 14 runs with the bat, his keeping was exceptional. He was very tidy behind the stumps, highlighted by his impressive dismissal of Moeen Ali with a clever stumping, just when England were wrestling back some momentum on Day 4. His insistence of a review for a Stuart Broad caught-behind was another feather in his cap.

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He’ll need to score runs to keep the wolves at bay, but he was so good with the gloves that the selectors earned themselves another tick.

Lastly, we come to Shaun Marsh, who only batted once in the game, but was part of the most crucial partnership – the one that helped set-up Australia’s first innings lead, and eventual win.

The 99 runs he put on with captain Steve Smith steered Australia out from the precarious position of 4-76, and when he fell the score was a much healthier 175. Marsh was patient, measured and occupied the crease. As ever – when he actually sticks around – he also looked great. Few batsmen are easier on the eye when scoring runs.

If you were being harsh – but not unfairly so – you would say that he still disappointed. His 51 runs before falling to a soft dismissal – caught meekly at mid-off from the bowling of Stuart Broad – remained the quintessential Shaun Marsh innings: he provided more than enough ammunition for both his fans and his critics.

However, he was the team’s second-top scorer, and he made his runs at a pressure-filled time.

Shaun Marsh

That gives the Australian selectors a perfect three from three on their questionable choices. For that, they certainly deserve credit. In layman’s terms, they were right, and critics were wrong.

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Yet if they feel that buys them some breathing room, they’ll be sorely mistaken.

With Glenn Maxwell banging on their door after scoring a scintillating 278 against NSW at North Sydney Oval, and the modern wicketkeeper needing to score runs, there will be no let-up in pressure from a public that enjoys questioning the selectors almost as much as it enjoys the actual cricket.

It’s first blood to the Australian selectors, but it’s early days in the biggest battle this summer.

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