In dropping Usman Khawaja, the new selectors have dropped a player who is capable of being the next generation of players that Australia’s Test team will be built around.
This is the fielding equivalent of spilling a gentle top edge to short cover from the best batsman who has got to 40, off a part-time medium pacer.
Khawaja has been on the wrong end of three poor selection decisions: he was wrongly picked at three rather than at six, then wrongly dropped after Sri Lankam and now wrongly dropped rather than being given a chance in the middle order.
The previous selectors put him into number three on debut, allowing the older guard the relative comfort of middle order to prolong already flagging careers. The best batsman in the team bats at number three. Khawaja, on debut, was not the best batsman in the team, particularly against a rampant England team armed with a potent balanced bowling attack that had the added benefit of an awesome, in form, batting lineup.
Khawaja was a member of a dysfunctional, underperforming and aging team.
Now, after scores of 12 and 65 against the strong South Africans at home and 38, zero not out, seven and 23 against New Zealand, and 56 not out against the Indians in Canberra, he has been dropped.
Khawaja’s performances tell us is that he is not ready to bat at number three. Dropping him makes him a scapegoat for the ludicrous decisions of the selectors in the past 12 months.
At some point, the selectors will need to invest for and in the future. Khawaja is just 25 years old and the ideal place to start. He has an excellent technique, is an intelligent cricketer and, as the first Australian Muslim player, has passed character test for now.
Eventually he will need to prove himself at the crease. His 37 on debut and 65 against South Africa were worthy performances.
He is three years younger than Shaun Marsh and four years younger than Ed Cowan and deserves a chance to find his feet. By comparison, Hughes has struggled with an inadequate technique and an inability to adapt his natural gifts to Test cricket.
Now that it is official that the Australian team is situated somewhere between crises on several fronts, (top and middle order batting collapses, sometimes at the same time) and need to rebuild, why should Ponting and Hussey get the benefit of dropping down the order as their powers wane while the players of the future are thrust into the fray up the order, when they are not yet ready?
The complication is that the dropped players do not return to the first-class cricket scene for some intensive coaching and to get some solid runs under their belt. They return to the T20 Big Bash competition.
This is the equivalent of sending a seriously ill patient home to a bed under a bridge, without medication or follow up support and then expecting them to heal themselves and be job ready for the next middle management vacancy.
Cowan is a decent choice at best. But he has come from the clouds on the back of some good recent form. At 29 and a half, and a first class average of 39, at 47 runs per 100 balls, and 12 first-class centuries in 99 innings, he is not the Messiah. Rather, he is another Shaun Marsh, with his first class average of 39 and a strike rate of 46 from 119 innings with just seven centuries but 23 fifties.
To take 100 first class innings and have an average in still in the late 30’s indicates that they will not adapt consistently or quickly to the much more demanding Test arena. Marsh’s century on debut was an outstanding innings by any standards, but it was against Sri Lanka on a belter. The Australian batters scored seven for 417 in 515 minutes.
Khawaja, by comparison, has a first class average of 45, a strike rate of 50 and nine centuries and 11 fifties in 71 innings!
Rather than protect the senior players such as Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin, these players should be given and accept the front line roles. The future of Australian Test cricket is at stake.
My team would have been:
1. Warner
2. Hussey
3. Clarke
4. Ponting
5. Haddin
6. Khawaja
7. Christian
8. Siddle
9. Pattinson
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Lyon
When will the selectors demand that the senior rather than junior players be given or take responsibility for this ailing team?
Hotrod
Guest
I agree Khawaja should be playing in the team ahead of Marsh but also agree that Cowan deserves a debut and believe it or not, that Hussey and Ponting deserve to stay........... WHAT? Well, it's been a week of kicking the veterans while their down in the media and on blog sites like this but haven't they fought back to earn their place? First innings, Ponting is the second highest score and Hussey gets out for a nick he didn't commit. We are now about to start day 3 and Ponting made another 60+ after a top order collapse (what's new?) and Hussey is still at the crease on 79 and could very well save the test with a brilliant century with the tail enders. Where are all the nay-sayers now? Probably in the same place they were when they called for Steve Waughs head when he was out of form and everyone wanted to drop him as he was too old and he came out with that amazing century in Sydney. We all know they are in their twilight and will be probably retiring at the end of this series so why not call for their heads after this current series? I believe both players deserve, yes you heard me, deserve to go out on their own terms when the time is right or at least get the chance to make an announcement prior to their last test so the Australian public can go out and say thanks for being the loyal servants to Australian cricket they both are. Imagine if Ricky Ponting, Former Captain of Australia and highest Australian run scorer of all time just dropped inbetween perth and Adelaide with no fanfare because all you hate bloggers held a poll that 70% of the public want him dropped? He doesn't deserve it and you all know it. And Hussey? Who is going to be the 'Michael Bevan' style number 6 who saves the day when Hussey finally departs? Haddin? Doubt it after the way he slashes at anything and gives up his wicket. McDonald? Are you serious? It should be Shane Watson as the new number 6 all-rounder when Hussey retires (if his back/calf/thigh/any other part of his body ever recovers) Sorry, got a bit off topic there but I agree that we need to blood the youngsters like Cowan, Khawaja, Marsh, Warner etc but if they are not in form then they do need to be dropped to build character like the veterans before them such as Hayden who was in and out a few times before cementing his place. Khawaja looked very jumpy against NZ and his 12 runs off a thousand balls didn't help his or CA's confidence in him. And don't get me started on others who should have had a chance like Hodge, Jacques and David Hussey and everyone forgets that Mike Hussey toiled away for years and years before getting selected. Khawajas time will come but he needs to work for it like everyone else has.
Leftarmspinner
Guest
Wim , welcome to the roar. All good questions that sadly have been left unanswered by the new selectors. At least iron gloves Rodney has called for some batsmen with technique. Go rodders!
Leftarmspinner
Guest
Brett that is not upside just repairing the initial mistakes.
Disco
Roar Guru
That a third of his Test career. His sycophants are relying on this intangible 'something' that makes him crucial to the side.
Red Kev
Roar Guru
Agreed Brett. And because I just can't resist kicking a flogged-to-death horse here's some lovely stats from Fox Sports ... RT Ponting Most recent 50 test matches: 6 centuries @ 38.83 Most recent 25 test matches: 1 century @ 33.52 Most recent 16 test matches: 0 centuries @ 27.48 Most recent 6 test matches (2011 calendar year): 0 centuries @ 26.64 For a guy who is 37 and has a career average still over 50 that is a LONG 5 year decline. For the love of god somebody sack Ricky Ponting!
Brett McKay
Expert
Leftie, if there's an upside in all this, Khawaja will almost certainly be back, and probably before too long. But just on your side there, while I don't have too much trouble with Khawaja at 6, there's no way on earth I'd let Haddin bat before him!!
Wim Starr
Guest
Lefty, I am most impressed with your insights! I am very dissapointed with the dropping of Khawaja, but have no answers only questions. Why was he ever picked and chosen to bat at 3 if they were going to discard him so quickly? Do these selectors view his prospects differently than the last lot ? Why pick Marsh ahead of him now? Is it his last name or the easy runs he scored in SL? Is Marsh (& Cowan) now considered a better long term prospect than Usman? Are we playing and building for the future, or are the selectors afraid of failure and so playing safe with the Punter and Huss? What is distinguishing this bunch of selectors from the last ? What is their edge ? Will Don't Argue Don Argus leave OZ Cricket in as perilous a position as he left NAB with its USA mortgage business or BHP with it's near fatal debt laden acquisition attempt on RIO at five to midnight on the eve of GFC ? How on earth was the Don considered a better man tto review Oz cricket than SWaugh or Tubby or AB / Why, why, why?
Seano
Guest
This is an excellent 11 however I think the keeper should bat at 7 in a test. And I prefer McDonald over Christian but everything else I's perfect. I have been saying hussey and Warner to open all summer!!!!!! -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Disco
Roar Guru
The selectors are happy to subjugate the present and future health of the side to Ponting's insecurity.
Disco
Roar Guru
The double standard is sickening.
Matt F
Roar Guru
It's a poor decision. Not nescessarily because Khawaja was doing that well (although being a short-term injury replacement isn't exactly giving him time to stake a real claim) but because there are others who are doing worse and who offer less to the team in the long run. Keep in mind that Khawaja was our 2nd top scorer in the 2nd innings at Hobart. I say that not to praise Khawaja too much but to show just how poor the others were. Of course his 65 in SA was the top score in that run chase but that all gets forgotten because Ricky used to be good 5 years ago.
jameswm
Guest
Unfortunately Spinner we're all banging our heads against a brick wall. if CA is so worried about marketing, why don't they look at the polls that suggest about 70% of us want Punter dropped?
Red Kev
Guest
Here's more: in 4 of Khawaja's most recent 6 innings he has been at the crease before 12 runs were on the board. I would love to see what he could do behind an in form opening pair (Warner and Cowan) and behind Marsh. He should be at 4 on Boxing Day. /sigh
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
red kev, thanks for the enhanced analysis on UK.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
Red Kev, muddled and short term thinking. I was amazed that M arthur would come out so strongly in favour of Ponting and Hussey. Just as with Hayden, they should move over quicker and mentor their successor prior to departure rather than block the successors path, and hence the future of the team. go and play some T20 around the world and make a million or two..........they deserve it. both have been good servants to aust cricket.
Red Kev
Roar Guru
I couldn't agree more. Debuting at 3 against England. Moved down to 6 against Sri Lanka (presumably because he was selected as a new batsman in his own right) and when Ponting got injured he stayed at 6 while Marsh came in at 3 on the Pallekele belter - Marsh get 142 and Khawaja gets 13*. Dropped for two games. Then he goes back up the order to 3 when Marsh gets injured to protect Ponting, Hussey and Clarke from the scary South African and New Zealand bowlers. Top score in the fourth innings run chase against SA, run out at the Gabba (by Ponting), second top score in the fourth innings run chase against NZ. One single figure score in 11 innings compared to Pontings five (including 2 ducks) in the same period. And my personal favourite from Andy Bichel “It’s a bad environment to create, a lot of guys played a lot of Test cricket before they scored a hundred and they continued to play for Australia. Just because you have two or three bad games, your job cant be on the line.” Apparently that only applies if you're Ricky Ponting who's gone 16 test matches without a century at an average of 27.48 over the last 23 months.