The biggest question in Australian cricket right now is who will get Hussey’s spot in the middle order if the selectors finally show some bottle and sack him. The names that constantly come up are Ferguson and Khawaja.
The forgotten man in this debate, and in Australian cricket generally, is a young man by the name of Ed Cowan. Cowan was the second leading run scorer in the Pura Cup last year having scored 957 runs playing for Tasmania, at an average of just over 53.
Cowan’s pedigree is undeniable.
Having attended Cranbrook School in Sydney, he played in and dominated the Combined Associated Schools’ (CAS) first grade competition at the age of 14. At that stage he was a small, skinny boy who would not take a backward step when bowlers nearly 5 years his senior would pepper him with short pitched, hostile bowling.
In these formative years,those who knew Cowan believed that despite having grown up on the manicured grounds of the exclusive CAS competition, he had the toughness to one day pull on the baggy green.
Cowan would be somewhat of an anomaly in the recent history of Australian Cricket. Unlike in Rugby where private schools have produced a huge proportion of test rugby players – the bush has been the nursery for cricketing talent.
But the silver spoon has served this young cricketer well.
Cowan announced his arrival to the cricket world when he blasted 218 at the Australian U17 Championships in 1999. This lead to his selection in the Australian Under-19 World Cup team which played in Sri Lanka in 2000, a team which included Shane Watson, Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Hauritz.
He brought this rich vein of form to the Sydney Grade competition where at the age of 19 playing for Sydney University he was the leading run scorer in 1s grade. At this point you would have said Cowan was a moral to play test cricket by the time he was 25.
But circumstances have transpired somewhat differently.
Of his cohort from NSW, Michael Clarke was the chosen one from a very early age and then as Cowan tried to establish himself as an opener in the NSW Blues he was squeezed out by Simon Katich, who had moved from Perth and up to the opening position, Phil Jacques and another boy wonder in Phillip Hughes. Cowan also suffered a sickening injury when his big toe was all but obliterated by a sandshoe crusher at training, putting him on the sidelines for nearly a whole season.
It will be a surprise to some that Cowan has already worn the baggy green in a test match at the SCG against Pakistan in 2004-05. In bizarre circumstances, he was in the Member’s Bar settling in for a day of cricket and beers when injuries required a thirteenth man to be found.
The call went out and Cowan ended up fielding for Australia before he had even played a game for NSW. However, in deference to the baggy green, he handed his back on the basis that he had not earned it.
However, Cowan’s numbers from last season suggest what many have suspected for a long time – Cowan has the technique and psyche to play at the highest level.
That skinny boy who Peter Roebuck identified at a very early age as a “special one” is now a man ready to take his cap – if it fits this time, you can be sure he won’t be giving it back.
Bayman
Guest
Bloody hell, our form is so poor right now that even I am suffering. I think my Doherty reference Doherty reference shows I'm developing a stutter stutter!!!!
Bayman
Guest
Gentlemen, I note Mr. Ed got a gig for Australia "A" and promptly made more than Hughes, Khawaja, White and Ferguson put together. Good to see that Aus "A" also suffer from the same ailment as Orstraya. That is, if the tail don't get runs we don't really get a score. The scene is being re-enacted all over the wide brown land. In Sydney, Coyte's 14 (3rd top score) got NSW to a mammoth 97. In reply, no.7 Butterworth added 39 (top score) to his 4/26 while no.10 Doherty got 20no got 2nd top score to give Tassie a narrow lead. In Brisbane, SA's nos 7,8,9 got 73 of the team's 223. Meanwhile, in Melbourne the much maligned (and especially by me!) Mitchell Johnson, at no.8, is 82no in a big partnership with.....wait a minute.....it's a bloody batsman (of sorts - well, he's batting at 5)....Voges who is still going on 91. Still, the important thing is mighty Ed Cowan has earnt his spot and justified it against the filth....er, sorry about that...England.
Fisher Price
Guest
One of Punter's faves Andrew Symonds averaged 36 over 102 first-class matches for Queensland. And McDonald's a better bowler too.
MrKistic
Guest
He'd be struggling with a box of Redheads at the moment.
Fisher Price
Guest
McDonald over Johnson at number 8 please.
Fisher Price
Guest
The Aussie number 3's hardly setting the world alight, is he?
Fisher Price
Guest
Krejza's near-50 average in first-class cricket says enough in his case.
MrKistic
Guest
MEK Hussey c DJ Hussey b McDonald 0 (22m 18b 0x4 0x6) Painful. And another wicket to that bloke that nobody rates as being good enough to play for Australia A, let alone Australia.
MrKistic
Guest
I take it all back - get him in the team now! Apart from Panesar taking a screamer to get him out (what alternative universe have I entered?) he was the only batsmen who was in control this morning. So this is our second tier of quality batsmen? Katich & Watson haven't fared any better either. Hussey's in at the MCG now, I may have to pop in this arvo to see how he's going. If he's still going.
GG
Guest
Totally agree Joe - Cowan is a name to watch and has been for a while now. If the current team continues to perform as it has, he should definitely see his chance come. His technique and resolve definitely fit the bill. He just needs to keep scoring runs so he is impossible to ignore. No matter what Jammy and others say - Joe I like your thinking.
Joe Karsay
Expert
Fisher Price – While I am not sure McDonald is the right option I do agree with the general tenor of your comment. I.e. If Ricky does not like you, your long term prospects in the Australian team are slim. Names such as Hodge and Krejza come to mind.
Fisher Price
Guest
I'd take him over Hussey's forlorn, zinc-lipped trudge back to the pavilion.
Fisher Price
Guest
Yep. Punter probably doesn't rate him. And Punter always knows best. Anyone who questions that shouldn't be allowed to voice their opinion!
Lolly
Guest
Love it. The selectors have just shown their hand in picking 17. As in 'stuff you CA, make us select this early and we're prepared to look like panic merchants.' About bloody time too. The bubble appears to have been pierced.
MrKistic
Guest
Btw whaler, you've obviously forgotten that Matty Elliot wasn't a bad addition to the national team... so much so that a New South Welshman had to take him out and ruin his career!
ilikedahoodoogurusingha
Guest
I, for one...even as a New South Welshman, cannot believe that McDonald is not even considered.....will not set the world on fire, but good, steady and reliable. Just what we need at the moment.
Fisher Price
Guest
17-man squad What, are they touring? Or are the selectors just indecisive and floundering?
MrKistic
Guest
That's alright, they'll catch up eventually :)
jameswm
Guest
The captain, coach and selectors don't think we know what we're talking about.
MrKistic
Guest
Yes, of course I'm a bloody Victorian. I also had my tongue somewhere in my cheek region in that post. Although, only to a certain extent. I didn't for a moment think that either of those wonderful servants of the Big V would make the squad announcement today, but I was just pointing out that plenty of people have got others like Ferguson in their sights without him having really made a consistent point for selection. He was average against the Poms last week, he's coming back from injury with no proven form, but sure enough he's in the squad. And Whaler, did you not look at what I said? You mention White and McDonald's average as being bad, but they're both better than Cowan and certainly better than Ferguson. So you're right, an average of just over fourty isn't awesome, but it's better than a high 30s average. White's average over the last 3 years is over 50 btw. Joe, McDonald was given a go and his last innings against Sth Africa showed that he was capable at that level. The key is also his bowling, having someone to hold down and end going for 2 runs an over means that someone like Hauritz could actually attack instead of being concerned about his run rate. A bloke's average after 4 tests batting at number 8 is not necessarily a complete picture is it? After all he just outbatted M. Clarke against a full strength NSW lineup (less Starc). Anyway, we're wasting our time aren't we? Like I said, we're just pushing barrows here. It's Hussey & North, followed by Khawaja and Ferguson. The annointed are appointed again.