With the selection of Moises Henriques for the first Test against India as an all-rounder, I thought I would try to clarify my thinking on the issue of the jack-of-all-trades cricketer in Test matches.
The esteemed Sheek posted a comment buried somewhere in a thread on this site that I have always remembered. To paraphrase, he said the key selection when naming an all-time Australian XI is not where to put Bradman, but whether to name Keith Miller.
Miller as an all-rounder opened the bowling with Ray Lindwall and batted as high as number four.
His Testrecord stands at 55 matches averaging 37 with the bat (almost 3000 runs including seven centuries) and 23 with the ball (170 wickets including seven five-wicket hauls). It’s impressive and certainly puts the lie to calling players like Maxwell or Henriques all-rounders.
For the record, I don’t believe all-rounders are necessary or even that important in Test cricket – Miller would be my 12th Man in an all-time Australian Test XI.
Maybe I am affected by age: I grew up in the time of one-day cricket, and to me an all-rounder is a batsman who can bowl 10 overs effectively.
Whether they open like Shane Watson or bat in the middle order like Jacques Kallis or come in late in the order like Ian Botham I have always considered them to be a batsman who can bowl, not a fifth bowler who can bat a bit.
Those 10 overs are all that is needed. In an ODI it’s mandated by the rules, in a Test match those 10 overs are simply a break for your four front-line bowlers and often used near the lunch and tea interval or to try and manufacture a wicket as a partnership breaker.
Playing an all-rounder at number seven after the wicket-keeper is acceptable in limited overs matches, but not in tests. In a Test match you need six quality batsmen, the team needs to be able to build a score — it doesn’t matter if you can take 20 wickets if your batting line-up cannot bat out a day.
While a good all-rounder can give you an effective fifth bowler, the recent SCG Testin which Australia played five bowlers shows just how frustrating playing five specialist bowlers can be. In that Test only one Australian spell lasted more than four overs, a solitary five-over spell from Jackson Bird.
Six batsmen, a wicketkeeper, three quicks and a spinner will get the job done nine times out of ten. That other match will be on a green top or a dust bowl where conditions clearly favour either pace or spin.
Clearly John Inverarity and Mickey Arthur have a fixation with all-rounders — no doubt due to Arthur’s previous association with Kallis.
I hope Henriques does well and not least because he will keep Glenn Maxwell out of the Test side.
But I doubt that he (a) is ready for Test cricket, (b) has truly earned his baggy green cap, and (c) will become more than a bits-and pieces-cricketer internationally.
JDP
Roar Guru
Will they still be thinking that now do you think - Watson should be getting nervous (thank god)
JDP
Roar Guru
And I think that will be Henriques, but time will tell.
JDP
Roar Guru
RedKev after Henriques performances thus far - do you still hold the same judgment of your last paragraph?
Neuen
Roar Rookie
A batsman that does a bit of bowling part time is not a all rounder or genuine all rounder. He bats as good as he he bowls or his bowling is above part time average IE Jacques Kallis that is a all rounder
Ken Hambling
Guest
Yes well said Pope, UTK hasn't been given even 3 games in a row in his 6 test career, dropped 2 games after 70 against sA in a record 300 chase against them and got 40 run out the game before in Gabba.
sheek
Roar Guru
JGK, Re Trumper - very true!
lolly
Guest
I have to agree with Ian Whitchurch here. The amount of crap the selectors cop even when the Aussies win is testament to that.
pope paul v11
Guest
PS The thing is, Keith Miller could hold his place as a frontline paceman and batsman, this current no 7 bat who bowls a bit is not in the same league. Good on Moises but this has got no legs and the English will be thinking, "thanks very much".
pope paul v11
Guest
Keith Miller scored heavily against a far from great WI i attaclk in 1955 which sort of belies his cavalier rep. Alhough by all reports the pubilc loved him. I think he added 3 100s to his career tally amongst an Aussie run feast. He wad also a workhorse bowler on many occasions, particularly late in his career. A far greater labourer than his skills or reputations states.
pope paul v11
Guest
K's test career, if you could call it that, is packed with incident. It doesn't involve full summers or tours. K is a 3 in shield H is a 6. No comparision.
pope paul v11
Guest
I agree Knotty was a great keeper and great wk/bat. And such a fighter. Not necess in the same order but the English were quick on the uptake with wk/bat; L E G Ames and P A Gibb. I think there are others too. Australia's first 100 from a wk didn't come until 72/73. But Alec? Man they were nuts to make him keep.
Ken Hambling
Guest
Stop bringing in Khawaja as injury cover and give the lad a crack, tell him before a series, look you have a full series now show us what you can do, if they took this approach we would have Hughes and Khawaja smashing it at 3 and 4.
Amith
Guest
nmj all fair points champ, i think the key point here is that Khawaja like others before him(i.e Cowan, Hughes) deserves an extended run, he gets at best 1-2 games at a time so give him a full series to show what he can do, if he fails then lets move on, but i am sure if he gets half the games Cowan has had in a row(14) he will be a world beater.
Amith
Guest
Good article Red Kev and yes i agree with you 100%, i do wish Henriques best for future but we need 6 batsman to win the ashes.
lolly
Guest
Agree with you about Knott. He was so unobtrusive in his skills as to be barely there but quite brilliant.
nmj1654
Roar Rookie
Khawaja must be in the running for most overhyped domestic batsman of all time. He hasn't proven anything at Test level aside from a sound technique which is irrelevant if you're not making any runs. Statistically speaking, players such as Chris Rogers and David Hussey have the right to feel robbed, with FC averages in excess of 50, Khawaja's average at first class level is a touch under 43. While that average still may demand a Test spot considering the times and Khawaja's age, he has proven thus far he scores runs far too slowly if at all. Much like Ed Cowan, he occupies the crease, but doesn't make a hell of a lot of runs. (Disclaimer, I'm not comparing Khawaja to Cowan. Khawaja is one of the finest batsmen in the Shield. Cowan is a journeyman ball de-shiner). While I agree his treatment by selectors has been unfair and hasn't been conducive to Khawaja's continued development, he is hardly beating down the door. Based on his Shield season, Henriques was.
JGK
Roar Guru
Trumper's a funny one. He's traditionally chosen as opener in these teams but his best work was certainly done down the order. FWIW - I've always been wary of Morris' record. A bit like Harvey's - brilliant for the first 5 years after WWII but mediocre at best for the rest of their career. I would typically put SImmo in my first XI. And I just struggle to leave AB out of my team. A bit of a personal bias perhaps to my childhood batting idol but you don't mind your number 5/6 with a bit of stickability when surrounded by stroke makers.
Red Kev
Guest
Vice-Captain in a cricket team is a nothing title. Captain / Vice-Captain is irrelevant - the team is picked and then the captain is named.
Red Kev
Guest
Which is hardly a big difference from the team I would select (Border and Lindwall in place of Miller and O'Reilly) and illustrates the point about Miller's selection or non-selection dictating the make-up of the team.
sheek
Roar Guru
JGK, My alltime 1st XI would be: Trumper, Morris, Bradman(c), G.Chappell, Ponting, Miller, Gilchrist(k), Warne, Lillee, O'Reilly, McGrath. Just to show how good this team is, here's my alltime 2nd XI: Ponsford, Hayden, Macartney, Harvey, Border, S.Waugh(c), Tallon(k), Davidson, Lindwall, Grimmett, Spofforth. Notes: 1. 1st XI is based on 5-1-5. There are only two left-handers in the top 7 - Morris & Gilchrist, while O'Reilly makes three. Five man bowling attack of three pacemen & two spinners. Chappell & Trumper are the bowling backups. 2. 2nd XI is more traditional 6-1-4. However, Macartney was a very useful slow left-armer & is the fifth bowler (& second spinner). While Waugh & Border are good backups. Four left-handers in top 7 - Hayden, Harvey, Border & Davidson. 3. Gilly is first-choice keeper for his batting. But the contenders behind him are numerous. Apart from Tallon, you could just as easily go with Blackham, Kelly, Carter, Oldfield, Grout, Marsh or Healy, all of whom have their admirers. 4. 1st XI bats down to Gilly at 7 while Warne could be nuisance value. Keeping in mind Bradman is two great batsmen rolled into one. 5. 2nd XI bats deeper to Lindwall at 9 with a test century to his name. But they don't have a Bradman.