Former Test opener Matt Hayden urged selectors on Thursday to be patient with Australia’s struggling batting line-up, while slamming the youth policy promoted by former selector Greg Chappell.
Australia have recently shown a worrying trend of batting collapses, prompting new coach Mickey Arthur to summon some of the team’s most experienced batsmen to a batting camp ahead of the Boxing Day Test against India.
And while Hayden said the batting camp had its merits, he said more faith needed to be shown to under-the-pump newcomers such as opener Phil Hughes.
“It’s a very hard place to really mark your game in Test match cricket as a learning player,” Hayden told reporters.
“(Australia captain) Michael Clarke has been the guy that’s probably done it the most successfully, and the Australian selectors were very patient with Michael as well.
“Because of the rapid turnaround of events from one tournament to the next tournament, it’s very, very difficult to actually learn and master your game.
“Consolidation right now though and not panicking is a very important part of the selections strategies.
“I think Phil is someone who is going to play a lot of Test match cricket for Australia.
“I think it’s not that far away.”
Chappell famously tried to implement a youth policy while coaching the Indian national team, which included stripping Sourav Ganguly of the captaincy and dropping him from the Test and one-day sides, before the batsman earned a recall due to poor form from his replacements.
Under Chappell’s watch as an Australian selector, experienced Test opener Simon Katich lost his Cricket Australia contract as selectors tried to inject more youth into the national team.
Hayden said the youth policy was not the way to solve any perceived batting crisis, preferring a system where first-class experience outweighed potential.
“That’s why a lot of guys at 28, 29 actually come into the (international) game,” he added.
“That’s why I don’t agree with Greg Chappell’s youth policy. I think it takes a long time to master your game and to learn about it.
“Your natural geniuses like your Ricky Pontings and your Sachin Tendulkars, they’re going to get runs because they are exactly what they are. And that is a complete genius.
“The rest of us have to scrap and work pretty hard at what we’ve got.
“For me, I don’t think (the batting camp) is the worst idea at all.”
Hayden also agreed with Indian great Rahul Dravid’s assessment that Twenty20 cricket should be restricted to domestic competitions, headlined by the lucrative Champions League competition, in order to clear up the international schedule.
Bearfax
Guest
Concerning Nic Maddison I suggest all players do go 'off the boil' at various times in their career. He'll come back. As I suggested bowlers quickly work out the strengths and weaknesses of a player and they play to the weaknesses and dont play to the strengths. That's what has happened to Hughes. Like Hayden, both Hughes and Maddison will achieve their potential as long as they are willing to admit their flaws and address them and dont give up. Warner will face the same trauma at sometime. But yes, Warner and a corrected Hughes would make one formidable opening pair, given their potential.
Johnno
Guest
Hayden ex tamale of Hussey and Ponting, and also batting coaches justin laneger's best mate and opening partner. Hardly going to get any independent opinion from Haydos, what a yawns Hayden's comments are.
Fisher Price
Guest
“Consolidation right now though and not panicking is a very important part of the selections strategies." Haydos - yawn. So, so, so predictable. What a boys' club it is.
Fisher Price
Guest
They're all having a go...
Frankie Hughes
Guest
Most of my comments about Dave Warner have been tongue in cheek my friend. I just didn't see Warner making these huge strides so quickly. I mean T20 slogger becomes Baggy Green saviour? Things like that are unheard of. I wish Dave Warner all the best against the Indians, if he played like he did in Hobart, he'll have them on the run. I'm just disappointed that Hughes has been picked apart, as Warner and Hughes could've been a bowlers nightmare. They still could in the future mind. Hughes is only 23 and Warner is 25. Watching these two destroy an attack would be great viewing. Whilst Nic Maddison looked outstanding last season, he seems to have gone of the boil so far this season. Still he's only a kid and will come good!
Bearfax
Guest
I'm an admirer of Hughes but he's got to go back to Shield to correct his technique problem. just as the great Hayden had to many years ago before he took the world by storm. Hughes will be back...he has too much natural talent not to be a success....but for now his confidence is shot and his sloping bat style is being found out time and again. Will be interesting seeing Warner and Watson opening. And dont worry Frankie. Watson is merely keeping the place warm for Hughes or another opener, because he'll eventually move down to 6 when Hussey and Ponting finally retire. Burns looks the next best hope at 5. Hughes better get his act together fast though because young Maddison is nipping at his heels. And has you view about Warner been modified yet...this kid can bat and has the technique to open. They'll find weaknesses no doubt and he'll have to work like Hughes to address them. But he is also an outstanding talent and I suspect a long term "Sehwag' type, though yes, no way near that level at this stage.
Frankie Hughes
Guest
Finally a supporter for Phillip Hughes!!!
Stu
Guest
I don't understand the obsession with the batting lineup. If we look at the figures from the Ashes,South Africa ad the other series' where we were belted, there are only one or two occasions where we didn't score enough runs to win the test. In most of the losses, we failed to take 20 wickets. Even against NZ, we failed to clean up the tail effectively in the second innings, that cost us the match. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.