Roar Rookie
Joined November 2016
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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…
Jackson Bird played fewer Shield games last year than Mennie, so he took fewer wickets, but he had a better average and an appreciably better strike rate. As did Doug Bollinger and other bowlers. So Mennie had a good season, but let’s not get carried away. He was by no means screaming out ‘pick me’. Jackson Bird is clearly a superior bowler and should have been ahead of Mennie.
What should we make of the Joe Mennie saga?
To be fair to Joe you’re right in that he was one of the better Shield bowlers going around. And of course Hobart was hardly his fault. But I can’t accept that he should have been selected for Perth or Hobart either. He may have had a good season last year and A tour, but one good summer does not a fast bowler make the and ODI series in South Africa was a strong indication he would struggle.
But, to be fair to me, the article is bashing the selectors for the way they treated Joe, not just for selecting him for Hobart in the first place.
What should we make of the Joe Mennie saga?
Oddly, the injury story seems only to have surfaced after he was excused from Shield and not selected. In any event, didn’t he play grade cricket?
What should we make of the Joe Mennie saga?
This seems like a pointless argument to continue, because everyone will have different opinions about who should be selected, but what you say is not supported by facts. The last Shield season finished in March, so from 8 months (not a year) ago Bird had the better record. If we are talking RECENT form, Bird has 13 wickets from 3 Shield games and Mennie has 6 from 2. Finally we can’t compare the A games, because Bird did not play against South Africa A and Mennie did not play against India A, even though in terms of wickets taken in each series Mennie had a superior record. But based on all recent form, and Bird’s test record, the stats supported his selection, not Mennie’s. And let’s not forget that a reason given for Mennie’s selection in Hobart was batting.
As to watching each to see who the better bowler is, that is purely subjective.
What should we make of the Joe Mennie saga?