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Former Test quick Andy Bichel says it is “mind blowing” that his Queensland teammate Ashley Noffke has been overlooked for Victorian youngster Peter Siddle on the Indian cricket tour.
Bichel even took exception to Tasmanian quick Brett Geeves getting a nod ahead of the in-form Noffke in the recent one-day series against Bangladesh in Darwin.
“Myself and Kasper (Michael Kasprowicz) have been in that situation, when you know you have been through the wringer,” Bichel told AAP.
“And to see it happening to one of your Queensland mates you think `what is going on here?’.
“Even Brett Geeves getting a game against Bangladesh…it should have been Ashley Noffke. It’s just mind blowing.”
Bichel said Noffke had every right to shake his head after grabbing 51 first class wickets at 19 and 741 runs at 46.31 in 2007-08, touring the West Indies and still being dumped.
“I’m not saying Siddle isn’t a great prospect for the future,” he said.
“But injuries happen on tour and all of a sudden …Ricky (Ponting) needs to turn to someone he knows can do the job.
“Ashley Noffke is ready for that challenge, but he’s playing for Australia A instead.”
Instead of strutting their stuff for Australia, Noffke and fellow discard Andrew Symonds look set to start the summer spearheading the Queensland Bulls.
Symonds’ comeback after the “gone fishing” controversy gains momentum in the Bulls’ Twenty20 doubleheader against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Brisbane on Sunday.
Noffke is in India – but as part of the Australia A team after surprisingly being leapfrogged by Siddle for a Test tour nod on the sub-continent.
Bichel – an on-again, off-again Australian player who played 19 Tests over six years – said past experience told him both would bounce back.
But it doesn’t make the frustration over his teammates’ predicament go away.
Bichel noted wryly that Noffke was still getting overlooked in India despite stellar Australia A returns.
“In one of their last games Ashley took four-for and Shaun Tait got three-for but somehow Tait got the headlines – it just amazes me,” he said.
“You’ve just got to try and offer advice and tell him to keep working at it – hopefully he won’t get too disappointed.”
Bichel – attempting to come back from a shoulder injury at 38 – said Symonds was “well and truly on the mend” but would always rue missing the Indian tour.
“It’s disappointing to see one of your mates go through what he has,” Bichel said.
“It’s one of the biggest challenges Australia has ever had in cricket and he’s not a part of it.
“He will look back at it and regret that he missed it.
“But he’s training with us, got great facilities here and some old mates to help him get back.”
Although training with the Bulls, Bichel will double as Kolkata’s fast bowling coach over the next fortnight.
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