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Australia desperately needs an injection of youth

12th August, 2010
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Roar Guru
12th August, 2010
63
1118 Reads
Australia's captain Ricky Ponting celebrates after reaching 100.

Australia's captain Ricky Ponting celebrates after reaching 100 on the second day of the first cricket test match between England and Australia in Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 9, 2009. AP Photo/Jon Super

Australian cricket needs a big dose of youth. It needs young legs and uncluttered brains. The team resembles a marriage where a lot is taken for granted. There are too many unwashed dishes in the kitchen sink. Some of the kids have been spoilt and given too much too soon.

Superstars do not come straight out of the womb. There is no microwave shortcut to excellence. The X-factor is overrated and is a myth. Sport is like the real estate market and long-term gains are measured in decades and not years.

The great Australian teams (leaving aside the Invincibles and before) of the mid fifties, seventies and nineties were all YOUNG teams.

Ian Johnson captained Australia in the 5th Test Match in Sydney in 1955. England won this series 3-1 against an ageing Australian side. Johnson was 38, Miller was 36, Lindwall was 34 and Maddocks the keeper was 30. Peter Burge was the youngest at 23 and the rest including Benaud, McDonald and Harvey in the mid-twenties.

In 1956 Australia took much the same team to England and lost the series 2-1. They did, however, promote Harvey to 3 and Burge to 4. And Archer at 23 injected some youth.

In 56-57 Ian Johnson again led the team to India and they won 2-0 largely due to the batting of Harvey and Burge and the bowling of Benaud who took 5 wickets in an innings three times. It was a three Test series.

In December 1957 Australia appointed Ian Craig as captain for the South African tour. Ian was just 22 going on 23 and led Australia to a 3-0 series win. Benaud was again the star scoring a century at the Wanderers, taking nine wickets at Newlands, another 100 in the fourth Test at the Wanderers and five wickets in the final innings at Port Elizabeth.

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Unfortunately Ian was laid low with Hepatitis and missed the next two seasons.

The Australian selectors had seen enough and Benaud was appointed captain for the 1958-59 Ashes series. England had the Ashes and nothing but a win in the series would reclaim them.

Benaud was just 28 and the selectors also gave Norm O Neill his first Test Cap at 21. In a low scoring match Benaud took seven wickets and O Neill scored 34 and 71 not out to lead Australia to an 8 wicket win. Benaud had arrived and the oldest in the team was Ken “Slasher” Mackay at 32 and Grout just 30.

Australia recalled Bobby Simpson, just 23, and duly won the second test, also by eight wickets (Simpson had earlier debuted in South Africa in 1957). Though Simpson did not have a successful Test, the selectors had shown their preference for the agility of young minds and bodies.

The third Test was drawn and for Adelaide the selectors chose Gordon Rorke instead of Meckiff. Rorke was a 21 year old tearaway and blasted the England middle order picking up Cowdrey and Graveney and reducing England from 3 for 180 to 5 for 183. This ultimately aided Australia’s win.

Australia recalled Meckiff for the fifth Test in Melbourne and alongwith Rorke they both terrorized the English. Australia also had Davidson and Lindwall and this perhaps was one of the most lethal quartets in Australia’s history.
Australia reclaimed the Ashes 4-0 and youth was the major factor.

Fast forward to 1976 and the Australians had Ian Chappell, the captain, and Redpath the only two players the wrong side of 30. Gilmour, Thomson and Lillee were 25, 26 and 27. Turner, Yallop, Cosier and Greg Chappell all between 23 and 28.

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The early eighties saw the retirement of Marsh, the Chappells, Lillee and Mallett. For the next four to five years Australia struggled under Border.

Things changed with the injection of youngsters like Steve Waugh, Dean Jones, Boon and Geoff Marsh. This was followed by McDermott and a chubby Shane Warne in 1991.

The rest is history and Australia has ruled right up to 2007. It is time to inject youth into the household. Time to have babies and see them grow.

The selectors have been like Victorian prudes who have lost the keys to their chastity belts – all starch and makeup hiding the creases and double chins.

Ponting’s loyalty to Johnson and Michael Hussey is admirable but it is counter-productive to Australia’s success. This is not the time to select on a wing and a prayer.

Johnson has talent but it must be consistent. He has to be replaced. And if he is good enough, which I think he is, he will come back. Many of our greats have been dropped. Michael Clarke was dropped. Steve Waugh was dropped. Bobby Simpson was dropped.

Seniority must not be mistaken for continuing excellence. Ponting has a lot to offer Australia but I believe it is as captain and batting five or six. I also believe he should play his last ODI at the next World Cup and see out his career as a Test player only.

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His new two-year contract is just reward for a great batsman and he must now see how best he can serve Australia.

It is not hard to envisage another Tasmanian, in George Bailey, captaining Australia in two years time. One would hope it is before he becomes the Old Bailey! Michael Clarke may have something to say about this.

Neil Harvey and Doug Walters scored their first Test centuries when they were 19. McDermott was the same age as Hazelwood when he played his first Test. Vettori at 18 was three years younger than Steve Smith. Ponting himself was 20 on debut. Greg Chappell was 22 and captained Australia when he was 27.

They have identified Khawaja, Smith, Hughes, George, Hazelwood and Bailey. These players must play sooner rather than later.

The selectors need to go back 62 years and inject some youth come November at the ‘Gabba.

The Ashes depend on it.

But more importantly Australian cricket depends on it.

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