The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Aussie selectors swing and miss yet again

Roar Rookie
18th January, 2011
Advertisement
Roar Rookie
18th January, 2011
26
1393 Reads

The Australian selectors have chosen what they believe is a winning formula for the World Cup in the sub-continent. Unfortunately, this squad will prompt more questions than answers.

This squad could easily lay claim to being the oldest Australia has ever sent, yet it may be the most underdone. Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting will go into the Cup without any cricket since January. Shaun Tait has managed two T20s in the past six months and has six more games to find his feet at international level again.

Brett Lee and David Hussey have at least been playing some domestic cricket, but both are making their returns to the international stage after a year out.

The batting line-up is more easily settled than that of the bowlers.

Despite the conjecture surrounding Michael Clarke’s form, he has the numbers in the past year and his career that prove he is a quality one-day batsmen. Only five matches previously he scored an unbeaten century, and averaged 55 in the past year. His spot should have been far more assured than that of David Hussey.

Hussey has not been part of the set-up for over a year, yet suddenly is part of our master plan to win the Cup. His ODI record is very questionable, given he has only managed five 50-plus scores, three of which have come against the West Indies and Scotland.

The non-selection of another batsmen is fraught with danger.

The ‘Anointed One’, Tim Paine, is, on the strength of this squad, the eighth best one-day batsmen in the country. Whilst he has proven himself at the top of the order, injuries or a lack of form during the tournament will prompt a change in the batting order to accommodate Paine, as he is not the man you want coming in at six or seven in an ODI.

Advertisement

Not taking two spinners to the sub-continent is a mistake. You can put good money on Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh playing two spinners on some occasions, and Pakistan is likely to follow suit.

Nathan Hauritz is a proven ODI spinner, and deserves his selection in the squad, but the omission of Doherty for Smith and Hussey is a mistake. Clearly, Hussey’s ability to bowl handy off-spin is the only reason he has secured a berth in this squad, but a domestic record that boasts 32 wickets at 43 in 183 games doesn’t smack of a quality back-up. His bowling on Sunday was pleasing, but surely not the sole factor in his selection.

Similarly, Smith needs to get some more overs under the belt if he’s going to make a difference in the Cup.

In saying this, the five-man pace selection is probably the best combination Australia could have put together. The key to sub-continent pace bowling is an ability to swing the ball, which both Lee and Bollinger possess, as does Johnson on occasion. Johnson, Lee and Bollinger all boast quality records in India.

Tait and the bolter Hastings have virtually no experience in the sub-continent, yet Hastings’ change of pace and bowling nous will be a valuable addition to the squad. The combination of Tait and Lee is a Ponting-tactic that has rubbed off on Clarke; the theory that your opening bowlers will blast out the opposition.

It worked in 2007 and hopefully will do so again.

The selectors have pulled this trick before and got it right. Shaun Tait was an outside selection for the 2007 World Cup, and did not have the greatest domestic summer before going to the World Cup and being a vital part of a winning side. Matthew Hayden was discarded, then brought back for the Cup, and dominated.

Advertisement

Vinay Verma was right when suggesting that untried should not be taken to the World Cup, but as experienced as these boys may be, they’re rusty.

close