In the wake of Sunday’s humbling ODI loss to Sri Lanka, the Australian selectors have announced a revised 12-man squad for the next two matches.
This new squad sees the notable omissions of batsmen Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja after very short stints in the side. Steven Smith is another to bite the dust despite only featuring in one game.
All three of the players have been in blistering form domestically, yet have been given scarce opportunity to prove themselves and adjust to International conditions.
Aaron Finch’s statistics in the second season of the KFC T20 Big Bash League are outstanding, averaging 76. Furthermore, in the national one-day competition, the Ryobi Cup, Finch averages 99 and has scored by far the most runs among all batsmen.
Similar to Finch, Khawaja has been dominant on the domestic front, single-handedly carrying the hapless Sydney Thunder. He averages over 50 in the Ryobi Cup. Smith can also boast great statistics in both competitions.
Prior to the start of the ODI series, the selectors cited preparing for the 2015 World Cup as a major aspect of the teams we are seeing.
This accounts for the surprising decision to leave out Michael Hussey, which is another story all together.
If the selectors’ goal is to prepare young players and test out who can bring Australia victory, providing each player with only one or two games is not going to bring about any reliable results.
Giving the players time to perform will enable them to perform better, rather than having to look over their shoulder at other candidates while on their debut.
The decision to drop these players becomes even more puzzling when the replacements chosen have not been in any sort of form themselves.
Moises Henriques can boast just one 50 in the Ryobi Cup and averaged a lowly 11 in the Big Bash. Glenn Maxwell’s ability to maintain a spot in the team is also quite strange considering his performances in the two games thus far have been substandard.
Sunil
Guest
Agree 100%
Deano
Guest
Dan Ced agree with you , Finch and Khawaja deserve more games as they have been the in form Ryobi players.
AndyMack
Guest
Work well FTC. For the Heat anyway......
AndyMack
Guest
+1
AndyMack
Guest
Good point on Quiney. I guess some of the attitude from fans in regards to Quiney stems from the fact he was elevated despite not seeming to be the next best in line for the role in the top 6. Sometimes facts get blurred, but the point remains about UTK's poor treatment in favour of others.
Dean
Guest
Bearfax well said mate, we need to give our younger players such as Khawaja time to settle at the top level, the ODI's don't mean much for the ashes, but for the Indian series they should get the young man in so he can get settled in the team for the ashes.
Dean
Guest
I can only hope Khawaja was bought into the Aus setup because he going to India as Hussey's replacement, on form he has to be the ma base on sheld form and the fact he is next inline.
Sunil
Guest
If Khawaja got only half the games Cowan and Maxwell had he would be a world class player. Give the young guy half a chance, that's all fans as
Lancey5times
Guest
Don't you know that these days you become a better cricketer by not playing!
Scuba
Guest
That's a fine piece of revisionism about Quiney's treatment.
John Nischke
Guest
Spot on!!! Couldn't have said any better! Favouritism, otherwise how can you justify with persisting with players like Marsh, Cowan, Quiney or now with Maxwell but dump Khawja after just 1 game respectively. Shame and unfair treatment.
Disco
Roar Guru
Hear, hear!
Bearfax
Guest
I seriously cant work out what they(the selectors) are on about. They enter this ODI contest suggesting they are testing players to see how they perform so they can judge their worth in the Indian/ England tours. Then they dont give the very players they claim to be testing adequate chance to show their wares and bring back the big guns. Seems to me they are so worried about their jobs they are jumping to every criticism and then rationalising in Invererity's pompous gobble de gook style that that's what they intended all along. They've lost the plot as far as I'm concerned and should be dumped. They are doing more damage to our young cricketers then benefit.
ThomasHudson9
Roar Pro
For some reason players are seen to be more fragile nowadays. The more game time the better imo.
matt h
Guest
Finch and Cutting both "rotated" for the Big Bash I reckon.
Felix
Guest
I'm hoping Cutting was rotated out, dropped, axed whatever the hell those conservative old rednecks want to call it, so he can play in tonight's Big Bash League. If that's not the reason, then I'm so disillusioned it's not funny. And for the record, I think that would be a poor reason. I'd never see a state hit and giggle fixture take precedence over an international fixture. Surely he could have played both though?
Dan Ced
Guest
Steve Smith and Moises Henriques have been picked on their form from half a dozen years ago. It is astonishing, and bewildering, that they would even try to back these selections up. There are no proper reasons you would pick these 2 players.. especially with Cutting's performance last game. hey many decent calls with the lineup for the first game, it had Finch/Hughes/Khawaja who are the 3 form domestic one day players.. Bailey who was the form national one day player. D Hussey who has been arguably our most consistent one day batsman over the past half a dozen years. I'm not 100% sold on McKay/Doherty as encumbants but Mckay hasn't been disappointing by any stretch (Doherty is even less exciting than Lyon in my opinion) Maxwell has proved himself every bit a Steve Smith. I don't agree with the selection of Henriques but I will give him another chance, he may surprise but I doubt it. The selectors need to be metaphorically crucified, and sadly that includes Clarkey playing favourites with this mates and endorsing crusty degenerate run leakers like Mitchell ducking Johnson
Red Kev
Guest
Inverarity has no clue, nor does Arthur. They only give "patience" and extended runs and a chance to impress to their favourites like world class brown-nose Ed Cowan or second-rate hack Glenn Maxwell. They pick who they like and then dribble out excuses that the press fail to call them on.