Australia's most unlucky Test cricketer

Internationally the unluckiest player in my mind was South Africa's Barry Richards. Deprived of tests because of his country's racial issues at the time, I suspect given the chance he could have been the second best test batsman of all time and may even have challenged Bradman (probably not but who knows)

Stuart Law was a big loss - it would have boosted the team greatly if he had have been fitted in somehow. However - he ended up a bloody legend for his County!

Yeah, dead at 23 is pretty damn tough, and the biggest tragedy is not an unfulfulled Test career.

We'll see how they treat Lyon if he doesn't do well against India. if he gets cast out of Eden if he gets hit around, I will think poorly of this team of selectors as he deserves to have some faith shown in him and he's still very green. He's looked the best so far, not a Hauritz clone as some seem to be suggesting as he has far more ability to get turn that will test the batsmen and throws the ball up beautifully.

Frankie, I'm not too sure that the selectors haven't finally got it right regarding the spinners. Hauritz is much under-rated and certainly the list of spinners since Warne haven't excited too much but Lyon, to me, looks better than all the rest. And by a factor. From here on in I'll be very surprised if we hear from Hauritz, Krezja, Doherty or Beer again.

The non selection of Brad Hodge was a disgrace and a blight on the selection panel. If we look back over the last 5 years of Aus cricket Hodges class,ability and experience would have been invaluable. Players like Marcus North Martin Love etc were not fit to lace his boots. I'm a NSW supporter through and through and have no reason to push the Hodge barrow other than it was a clear traversty. As for this obseesion in Australian cricket of hounding our champion cricketers out of the test team I am heartily sick of it. Ricky Ponting and Micheal Hussey deserve to play out the summer for a number of reasons which I cant elaborate on noe as the Sunday house and yard Jobs beckon.

Now here are some but England players 2 prominent cricket media identities Marc Nicholas and the late Peter Roebuck, a both unlucky not to play for England. A close contest between those 2 about who was the unluckier player not to play for England.

Red Kev, I actually do agree with you. Ponting & Hussey are exhibiting signs of decay in their ability to execute their skills. But as long as we're making the changes for the right reasons, & not simply because we think they've been around long enough, & it's time for them to move on, for change's sake .....

Agreed. If Hughes has to spend some time in the sheds to correct his batting style (and I'm sure he can do that) Jacques would be my next opener. very under rated.

Not really because 8 batsmen doesn't go into 6 spots. I think one of Hussey or Ponting needs to make way for one of Hughes or Warner in the lineup for the India series (Marsh and Khawaja are both definite selections). I would then prefer to take both Hughes and Warner and whoever puts their hand up over the summer in the Sheffield Shield on the plane to the West Indies (instead of Hussey and Ponting). Despite his 74 Ponting still did not look comfortable in the middle. And Hussey has not looked good since Sri Lanka but is Australia's best scoring batsman for the year.

Phil Jacques has battled serious back injuries. His is a name that is missing when people talk about top order problems. But he wasn't dropped. People forget what injuries have done to Australian cricketing in the past 5 years.

Red Kev, You have then solved the riddle of Ponting & Hussey. There's no point dropping them merely for the sake of dropping them. When old guys "keep on rolling on" in test teams in any sports, there's usually one of two reasons. !. They are & remain, exceptional talents. 2. There's no-one as good, or nearly as good but younger, to knock them off. Ponting & Hussey pretty well sum up both points above.

Love that word 'obtuse' - especially when used in the movie The Shawshank Redemption.

I remember the name.

That's because Warne didn't need captaining - toss him the ball and he sets his own field.

sheek The discussion may have gone off topic, but at least it was interesting. As for the guys in the selection cupboard - I couldn't even convince myself that the next in line's deserve to replace Ponting and Hussey at the moment ... I'm going to have to work on that post some more - I ended up with a list of 15-odd possibles/maybes (I didn't consider anyone over 30) but no-one that stood out. I couldn't even decide on a clear-cut reserve (7th) batsmen if both Ponting and Hussey were retired before the India series. I would probably have already dropped Ponting based on his last 20 months if I were the sole selector, but given his last two innings it is not so clear cut. Two of the eight (Hughes, Warner, Marsh, Khawaja, Pointing, Clarke, Watson, Hussey) have to miss out, but which two is certainly up for debate. On the unlucky front - that's why Stuart Law was the one I thought of first, I remember the test and always thought it harsh he never got called up again. Great captaincy record too.

Bevan had alot of trouble with short pitched bowling but he was unlucky and with an opportunity could have been a solid number six test batsman. Unlike Hayden, Steve Waugh, Martyn etc he had his papers stamped.

I remember Hayden shouldering arms in a boxing day test against South Africa. Some media commentators said he would never play for Australia again, he was subsequently dropped and was averaging 60 at first class level when he returned several years later.

Sorry Johnno for being too obtuse. My reference to Hackett and Thorpe was not meant to suggest they were competing against each other in the pool, but rather that they were competing against each other for recognition for their swimming exploits in general. All the publicity was on Thorpe generally in respect of mens swimming and he was seen as the favoured champion. This meant Hackett missed out on much of the deserved kudos for his outstanding efforts. If Thorpe had lived in another age, Hackett would have been the favoured swimming darling of Australian swimming and all the publicity would be directed at him as the champion of the age. That was why I considered him unlucky, just as McGill's outstanding efforts as a spin bowler paled in the shadow of Warne's efforts I will try to add more clarity to my statements in future so that my intent is better understood.

Red Kev, This post went off the rails a bit, didn't it? Firstly, I would have thought "unlucky" cricketers were those who NEVER played a test, or one at most. Secondly, you never got around to telling us who you thought might be in line to replace Ponting & Hussey..... ('cause I sure as hell don't know)