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Has Australian cricket coach Mickey Arthur any clout on the five-man selection panel? Doesn’t look like it. Two big calls lately have not materialised – David Warner as Twenty20 captain, and keeper Brad Haddin has been ‘rested’, rather than dropped.
Selectors had the golden opportunity to install Warner as skipper when they dropped incumbent captain Cameron White altogether.
Instead, the panel appointed Tasmanian George Bailey skipper on his international debut for the Twenty20 series against India starting tonight at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney.
And yesterday on Sydney radio Haddin said he was dropped, not rested, which suggests Arthur was publicly telling the keeper it wasn’t him who wielded the axe.
Whatever way you look at it, Arthur has far too much to say about selections, as has skipper Michael Clarke. Two mighty good reasons why the captain and coach shouldn’t be on the selection panel for the first time at home.
Justification for the umpteenth time: selectors select, players play, coaches coach – they never mix.
Even though Warner was overlooked, Arthur was on the money nominating him as a future skipper of any format.
Warner proved his qualifications captaining the Chairman’s XI against India in Canberra last month and Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. The 25-year-old barnstorming opening batsman showed astute tactical leadership mixed in with his considerable flair.
But Bailey’s selection came from far left field. Outside of his family, friends, and Tasmanian supporters, nobody gave him a chance of selection, let alone be captain. Except of course, the selectors.
Only 32 cricketers have captained their country on debut in 2,031 Tests, can’t find one in limited-over cricket. That makes George Bailey very special and hopefully for him he’ll turn in a very special performance.
The batting order tonight will be interesting. Warner will obviously be one opener, but who will be his partner – Aaron Finch, Mitchell Marsh, or keeper Matt Wade?
And where will another debutant Peter Forrest fit into the mix of just 14 players for two games?
Forrest has an excellent Sheffield Shield average of 58.10 with three tons, but an ordinary Twenty20 average of 25.66 with one half-century.
The selectors have made some strange decisions this time. The jury is out.