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Roberts, Garner, Marshall and Holding are names synonymous with the terrifying West Indies side of the late 70s and early 80s. The fearsome foursome. And what a pace quartet they were.
Australia now finds itself in a batsman drought, where hardened, Test match ready, seasoned pros are hard to come by. But young quicks are coming out of our ears.
Because of Shane Watson’s calf injury, the Australian bowling attack has lost its crucial fourth seamer. Nathan Lyon’s early season shield form has drawn vast criticism. For these reasons, I believe it is time for Australia to go all-out attack.
The stocks of young, strong, lean and athletic fast bowlers in this country has drawn praise the world over in the past 12 months. The time has come to utilise them, to form a new pace quartet with the potential to become a new generation fearsome foursome.
Patrick Cummins, at the tender age of 19, is already considered crucial to the future of Australian cricket. James Pattinson tore through the batting greats of India last summer. And Mitchell Starc’s boomeranging in-swingers destroyed the stumps of many at the recent World T20 and Champions league. All three have potentially long Test careers ahead of them.
Beyond these select few with Test matches to their name already, we have last summer’s Sheffield Shield leading wicket taker Jackson Bird, the promising Josh Hazlewood, Queenslander Ben Cutting and the talented, proven pedigree of Alister McDermott.
Australia is blessed with a group of quicks unlike any in recent times. Now I know that favourable bowling conditions in shield cricket has been cited as a reason for the exaggerated performances of fast bowlers, but when Ricky Ponting can still average 118.33, I doubt the wickets have been that bad.
The argument that a spin bowler is a must is a noble one. I do understand the need for the change, someone who can exploit turning conditions late in a Test match can be vital. However, when we have a part time spinner with a test six-for (something Brett Lee never achieved) and the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar to his name, surely Clarke can turn to himself for some tweakers if necessary.
In the meantime we’ve got four other fast bowlers who can average fewer than 30 with the ball (something most of our spinners since Shane Warne have failed to do).
Nathan Lyon’s current Test record is solid, above average even. I would like to see him being persisted with. I think Lyon has a lot to offer the Australian team. But, as history has shown, players with sub-par first class records (something Lyon has) rarely lift their game multiple, steep levels overnight and become Test match stars.
Surely the time will come when a couple of wicketless innings will become a drought and before long, Lyon will find himself on the outer.
Don’t get me wrong, I hope he proves my prediction to be completely unfounded and horribly incorrect. But when that time does come, it should be then that Australia avoid turning to another average state spinner and get behind one of our world class quicks.
We should be making the most of an abundant resource; fast bowlers. What does it matter if one gets injured? There’s another of the same class lying in wait. Australia had immense batting depth a decade ago, yet didn’t utilise them – not that they were needed. Now without the greats of yesteryear, playing to our strengths is a must.
In the modern game where player rotation, particularly of fast bowlers, is commonplace and developing a squad is more important than a team, the time is right to give these guys a crack at Test level and expose them to the rigors of Test cricket.
I hope Watson’s injury sees Michael Clarke lean in favour of four fast bowlers on Friday. I’d like to see Starc – whom I believe will eclipse Cummins and Pattinson as Australia’s attack leader of the future – blast out the South African big guns, while Hilfenhaus tempts them with swinging length balls, Pattinson gets in the face of the top order and Siddle charges in as determinedly as when he took a Test hat trick at the very same ground two years ago.
Two of the three grounds Australia will host host South Africa – the Gabba and WACA – are pitches renowned for their pace conducive characteristics. I believe denying Australia four fast bowlers in either case would be a mistake.
Selecting a player based on the convenience of having a specialist spin bowler is not horses for courses and not the forward thinking Australia requires to remain competitive with the world’s number one Test nation.
To start the series with confidence in our young players and an in-your-face bowling unit could very well set the tone for Australia. That tone will be of hard, aggressive and hopefully winning cricket. And I cannot wait. Bring on November 9.
Over to you Roarers. Does Australia’s young pace bowlers have the potential to become the next fearsome foursome and should Australia select a pace quartet for the first Test?
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