It’s all part of a plan to manage their workload ahead of the World Cup.
The merit of resting Clarke, who has just hit form again, is highly debatable, but not as much of a shock as seeing Krejza’s name in the squad.
“Jason is a very skilled spinner and more than capable batsman who has already enjoyed international success and we are sure will seize the opportunity,” chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said in a statement.
Excuse me! Would that be “a very skilled spinner” that the selection panel has completely ignored since December of 2008?
Would that be a player who has “already enjoyed international success”, but was dropped after just two Test? If the selection panel is so sure he’ll “seize the opportunity,” then why hasn’t he been picked sooner?
Just over two years after he took twelve wickets on his Test debut in India, Krejza is back in the green and gold. It’s a shame that it’s only because Nathan Hauritz, Xavier Doherty and Steve Smith are injured.
“I never gave up hope. I just knew I was going to be a better bowler and hopefully I’d have the opportunity in the future. It’s come along now so I’m pretty excited,” Krejza said.
The 28-year-old was dropped after returning figures of 1 for 204 against South Africa in Perth. Now he’s tasked with trying to impress the national selectors again on the same ground that led to his international demise.
It was just his second Test! Surely his axing was premature.
“I’ve played a lot of cricket since then and obviously I’ve learned a lot of different varieties and trying to change my bowling up for different batsmen and different wickets, so a lot more cricket has helped me,” he told reporters.
That’s definitely a positive, but imagine if he’d been given time to find his feet under the baggy green? Would we have even heard of Michael Beer?
On the topic of Beer, what must he be thinking?
The man is good enough to be Australia’s spinner during the Ashes, but not good enough to be called up to the one-day side, even though Hauritz, Doherty and Smith are on the treatment table.
Still, Krejza well and truly deserves another chance.
He can be expensive, but also deadly. Finding a happy medium is now the biggest challenge. Whether he gets more than one match to prove his worth is highly doubtful.
Fisher Price
Guest
Shame O'Keefe's injured.
MrKistic
Guest
Somebody really does have to get down to Jolimont and let them know that they don't have to issue a trite press release with every single selection change. I mean I know it's a bit of a stretch for our current selection panel, but the idea of every selection is that you're picking the best available players to win a match. So what is the point of the press release?? We know that Hilditch doesn't even write them, it's just some flunky in the CA office churning them out, and all they do is make the NSP look a little bit stupider than they previously did. Which is maybe actually a good thing, it may help to get rid of them a bit sooner.
param
Guest
ah well, so he picks 12 wickets in a game, has a poor game in perth which is considered a spinner's graveyard, gets dropped straightaway, is not good enough to play in the whole of ashes (or any test match), and gets called up in a one dayer(??) on perth????? and should he perform badly[ and probabilistically the chances of that happening are >0.5], he will get dropped again. Geez! he must be related to hodge.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
No. This has been a simple answer to simple questions.
ChrisT
Guest
Hmmm Rod. It's never wise to call a whitewash before all the games are played. And even less wise to do so when Adelaide means it can't happen anyway.
Stoffy18
Roar Guru
Being a tassie lad, the fingers are well and truely crossed for Krejza!! The Netherlands will win the World Cup, theres nothing else to it.
M-Rod
Guest
Absolutely outrageous decision to rest Clarke... The best preparation for a world cup has to be taking any opportunity to continue a form reversal and keep scoring runs against top quality attacks like England's. This is nothing more than a spiteful call by selectors to prevent Clarke from basking in the glory of victory in the final game of a series whitewash he has achieved. He is too successful a captain in the series,has shown Ponting up and must pay the consequences! -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Jason Cave
Guest
Where was Jason Krejza during the whole of the Ashes series? To think that the selectors ignored Krejza and Nathan Hauritz while calling up Michael Beer (who?), and Steve Smith during the Ashes indicate it's time for a major overhaul in Australian cricket-both on and off the field, starting with the selectors.
ChrisT
Guest
Never been to Jolimont but imagine there must be a special revolving door marked 'Tweakers Entrance'. I hope someone close to this guy has told him to enjoy the day (as much as a spinner can at Perth - gee thanks guys) and forget the dreams.