The Australian Test selectors must have been watching Top Gun recently because they suddenly have a preoccupation with a need for speed.
Excited by one spell of bowling that tipped the speed gun over 150km/hr in the ODI series against South Africa, the selectors are ready to rush New South Wales paceman Pat Cummins into a premature Test debut against the Proteas tomorrow.
The teenager is set to become the 423rd to receiving baggy green at the expense of Peter Siddle and ahead of state teammate Trent Copeland, who has already proven himself at international level.
Copeland has 99 first class wickets at an average of just 23. In the Tests in Sri Lanka, he was the perfect foil for the more attacking and less economical Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson, conceding just 2.10 runs for the series, as his accurate medium pace proved difficult to score off on the dead wickets of the sub-continent.
In contrast, Cummins has only taken nine wickets form his three first class games at an average of over 40.
But while Cummings can consistently bowl plus 140km/hr, Copeland is never going to shake off the fact that he bowls in the mid 120s.
History shows that the selectors’ concern about Copeland’s pace is unjustified. A similarly built Glenn McGrath, holds the Australian record of 563 wickets despite being well below express.
And fellow, tall medium-pacer Stuart Clarke decimated the Proteas in 2006, taking 20 wickets at just 15 in his debut series.
Copeland has other advantages over Cummins. As well as a height advantage giving him extra bounce, Copeland’s years working his way up the ladder of grade cricket, has allowed him to learn the subtleties of taking wickets.
He is able to vary his pace and move the ball both ways off the seam and has the ability to adjust his bowling in difficult situations.
Cummins, while he has the ability to swing the ball both ways, is yet to learn how to control his length and accuracy.
Also adding to the risk of playing the eighteen-year old, is his lack of recent, long form cricket, having not been picked to play in the tour game against South Africa A prior to the first Test. His last first-class game was last March’s Sheffield Shield final.
With the merry-go-round, perform or perish policy of the selectors in recent times, an unsuccessful early debut for Cummins, could see him quickly thrown on the rubbish heap of discarded Test players, lost in the wilderness.
DJ
Guest
he did alright... :)
Johnno
Guest
Wow Brett maybe i am a genius with Shane Warne like talent, or maybe i need serious help lol.
Brett McKay
Expert
and funnier still that you've seemingly missed what I was pointing out :lol: Not your grammar, for a change, and not even your spelling. No, this time you've outdone yourself by annoiting someone, and then abdecating them in the very next sentence!! That, my friend, takes real talent..
Johnno
Guest
HAHA lol Brett. That is classic Johnno mate. Somehow seeming to make no sense at all with his grammar yet somehow i make sense and the message gets across to the World lol. Classic Johnno for sure.
Wingback
Guest
Very much agree with your sentiments owenteakle87. I feel that the preference for qucker pace bowlers by Australian selectors comes partly from the fact that many Australian pitches favour express pace bowling. It's only when we get to slower pitches in Sri Lanka, India etc that we realise the value of miserly medium pacers.
andy g
Guest
how quickly we forget another tall new south welshman who bowled medium pace and took about 500 test wickets... if McGrath came out and annointed copeland, the kid would be made. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Brett McKay
Expert
"Brettt lee is 1 classy ODI bowler especially i rate him as our best ODI bowler ever ... Only Shane Warne is a better Australian ODI bowler than Brett lee ." Classic Johnno....
Fisher Price
Guest
Ahead of the 2nd Test, pace is all the buzz... Clarke on Cummins: "He's swinging the ball away from the right-handers and he's bowling at good pace." Clarke on Johnson: "I'm full of confidence knowing that he's coming off bowling really well and swinging the ball nicely and bowling at a good pace. I think his pace is still there which is a great sign. He probably just needs some conditions to be able to swing it a bit more. He swung it last time we played here. He's got potential ... well, potential is not the right word. He's played for long enough. His statistics show how good a bowler he is. But we need him to be at his best."
Gareth
Guest
Exactly! Just ask the ladies. They prefer line and length over speed any day. The faster the bowler, the less bat you have to put on it to send it on its way to the boundary - and that's if the bowler actually lands it on the pitch.
Johnno
Guest
I agree the need for sped is not actually important if you spray it all over the place. Shaun Tait was fast but ineffective in 2011 cricket world cup admittedly on slow indian wickets, brett lee seems to do okay on slow wickets especially in ODI or T20 cricket, And Steve harmison and Devon Malcom and now we are seeing with Mitchell Johnson, they can all bowl awful if there lines and lengths are all over the place, Brettt lee is 1 classy ODI bowler especially i rate him as our best ODI bowler ever brett lee and that includes glen mcgrath and D lillee. Only Shane Warne is a better Australian ODI bowler than Brett lee . But i think over say the last 20 years of high quality medium-fast or medium pace seamers and here is a good list. Adam Dale (he was quality he would of played more matches for Australia just injuries) Damien Flemming amazing swing bowler much like jimmy Anderson. injuries restricted him a lot but he was quality but maybe he falls under fast bowler but some of the out swingers he got Mike thereon out to were world class bowling at it's best. Mike Kasprowicz, Kaspa was not express but had good outswinger and good lines an effective bowler. Paul Reifelil nagging and accurate, a good bowler for Australia Colin Funky Miller good change of pace and variety Steve and Mark Waugh Steve had maybe the best slower ball ever and pace variety, and Mark Waugh had a the ability to bowl as good a bouncer as you could see. Shane Watson good all round bowler can bowl any delivery it seems Andrew Symonnds Greg blewett Damien Martyn all good bowlers with useful ability to take a wicket, Tom Moody very handy and good bounce a tall man Ian Harvey "the freak" great fielder like symonds , amazing slower ball good change of pace very handy bowler Shane Lee, Andrew Mcdonald, Shaun Young, all very good bowlers who all could of played more for Australia
BarnabusXI
Guest
Spot on. Copeland isn't a sexy bowler but is very efficient. Look at what McDonald did against South Africa. It is a touch boring for some, but line and length bowlers have their place.
Bayman
Guest
I tend to agree with Fisher. Australia's bowling head honchos have long been enamoured of quick bowling at the expense of control, swing, movement. I remember a conversation with Gary Gilmour a couple of years ago where he expressed the view that today he would not make it even for NSW because he was a swing bowler and did not get near 150kph. He may have slightly over-stated the case given Copeland's recognition and success for the Blues but I took the point. Today's coaches want 150kph without any thought given to whether the ball does anything. There is an assumption, apparently, that the batsmen of every opposing team will be terrified of such bowling regardless of the bowler's expertise. Perhaps these coaches would do well to have a chat with our own batsmen and see if straight up and down quick bowling really bothers good players. Steyn doesn't get wickets just because he's quick. He gets them because he does something with the cherry. That and the fact that modern batsmen seem to have lost the art of just sitting on a bowler and grinding him into the ground. Panic sets in if the score isn't ticking over so most bats today throw their wickets away. Given that, a guy like Copeland could be very useful. He's always at the batsman and makes him play. The more times he has to play the more opportunity for a mistake. Keep it tight and most guys today seem to commit suicide. It has worked for Copeland so far. It worked for McGrath. And if you look closely it works for Steyn. The encouraging word from Cummins is that he seems to prefer accuracy to sheer speed. That, at least, is a step in the right direction. It is still probably too early for Cummins but that won't stop the selectors giving him the nod. Let's hope he survives to prosper down the track.
DanielS
Guest
I think cummins is way to young and inexperienced to be in the test side. what is a bigger joke than him getting a start so early in his career is that he is slated to replace siddle rather than Mitch Johnson.
Fisher Price
Guest
The selectors have been obsessed with speed for quite a while. That Copeland is left of the side is a joke of Mitchell Johnson proportions.