Symonds recall opens cracks for the Black Caps

Okay, so I made a few left-field selections for the First Test with the Kiwis. A couple were certainly there to provoke some debate, but others were not. The one person who I did not even remotely consider (and said so) for the squad, was that of former ‘bad boy,’ Andrew Symonds.

The full story behind his ostracism from the boys’ club may never be known, but this week, at last, it has been suggested by Cricket Australia officials, that there was more to it than missing a team meeting for a spot of angling.

Given that all the responsible parties have kissed and made up and the compulsory counseling sessions have been completed, Andrew has been reselected. The forms completed, the receipts issued, the brown paper bag of worldly possessions returned. Come and get your new gear Andy, we missed your spoonerisms and misspelled answers to the Courier Mail crossword.

Your penance has been served in the Bulls’ ranks, we lost to the Hindustanis and we need a savior against the rampant Black Caps!!

Don’t worry about actually being in good enough nick to be selected on merit.

A first class average of 13 scoring the massive amount of 43 runs with the bat is good enough, as long as you toe the discipline and behaviour line and do not upset “Pup” Clark, even if severely provoked by his newest hair style.

His 5 wickets in three Shield games must have tipped the balance with the selectors. As a veteran left handed stonewalling TV commentator said on Friday night at the charity exhibition 20/20 entertainment fest as Andrew slogged 45 runs in a losing score “…the man is back in form”.

Would the appearance of Andrew in the Border-Gavaskar series have made any difference to the 2- zip bottom line?

Hypothetical as the query may be, we can do a simple analysis. If Symonds had played, Shane Watson would not have. Simple swap, no discussion.

Australia are not going to play two all rounders in the starting XI, both who are handy players but neither of them are genuine batsmen or genuine bowlers. Watson was the best of the bowlers over the four Tests. Either accidentally or by design, he alone worked out that the ball moving INTO the Indians caused the most problems.

As Johnson continued to bowl across the right handers and Brett Lee skidded from close to the stumps, rarely ever using the crease to vary the angle, it was Watson’s off cut and inswing (mostly old ball, ‘reverse’ style) that caused most problems.

On that farcical 4th afternoon of the last Test it was Watson and Krezja (guess what? deviating the ball INTO the right handers) that produced results.

If only Rick had thrown the ball to that combination immediately after tea he may have celebrated a great victory rather than be toasted and roasted for an indefensible lack of judgment.

Watson also batted well at number 6. Arguably Symonds may have done better, but the slow slightly turning decks are not his favourite.

Of course, the environment at the ‘Gabba will be very different from the torture trek of the last six weeks the Australians endured on the sub-continent. It will suit all of the Australians much, much, much, much, much more, but will this just be wallpapering over the cracks that the Indians prised so painfully open?

Symonds has been in dreadful form at state level yet as walked straight back into the national team (granted that he may not be in the starting XI) so the new qualification for playing cricket at the highest level is no longer how well you play cricket at the highest level! It is how well you toe the party line, and get your attendance sheet at counseling ticked off. Batting, bowling and fielding are somewhere down the list.

Between Ponting’s continuing mindset of denial and Symonds extraordinary recall the Black Caps must be seeing some light sneaking through the cracks of the failing Australian wall.