From the moment that Punter and Huss stepped out of the national setup, the most significant issue the Australian team is battling with is the lack of depth of batting talent.
This point has been stressed upon by friends and foes of the team, the selectors , fans and almost everyone associated with Australian cricket.
It is bound to happen I guess when you are used to watching the likes of Haydos, Langer, Gilly, Ricky, Huss, Symmo, Martyn etc dominate the bowling attacks around the world.
While this lack of batting talent might be seen as a problem as of now, I think we have some really good talent coming up for the next few years.
The following list points out a few young batsmen with enormous potential:
Joe Burns
Destined to play Test cricket sooner rather than later. A strong first-class record and the talent and technique to back it up. Expect him to break into the test side this year or at most the next.
Alex Doolan
Think he has the talent and temperament to succeed at the highest level, as was shown by his ton against South Africa. Someone who is endorsed by Punter himself has to be good.
If he can have a good couple of upcoming A-tours and a strong start to the Sheffield Shield season, he will be knocking on the door.
Nic Maddinson
A huge talent, again destined for highest honours. He too has shown that he is not far behind to anybody in talent and temperament. What will earn him a Test spot is consistency over a couple of Shield seasons. Too good to not be considered.
Jordan Silk
Big bang start to the Shield career has already seen him picked in the A team. He has shown that he has the tools to handle the big situations like Shield final.
I hope he does not fall to the second-season syndrome and continues on his merry way without thinking about that Australian Test spot.
Chris Lynn
I think Lynn was hard done by not getting even a single Shield game last season, where he should have been persisted ahead of Forrest.
But he has already shown us what he can do with the bat, albeit inconsistently.
I expect him to challenge for Australian honours, under the guidance of the Boof, particularly if he gets consistent chances in the shield
Marcus Harris
I recently read a Roarer calling him ‘the next big thing’ in Australian cricket. I don’t disagree too much.
If he can start getting consistent, we have a long-long-term solution for the opener slot sorted out.
Kurtis Patterson
A century in his debut Shield game and then no shield game at all for him. Not seen much of KP but going by his batting in his Shield debut and the U-19 World Cup, he seems to be a very bright prospect.
Travis Head
Good technique, plays all the shots in the book. Played some crucial knocks in the U-19 world cup, and has started producing some good digs in the shield for South Australia.
He is only 19 years old and can be around the Test team for long time.
Peter Handscomb
Good steady batsman who can also keep if required. Victoria will do well to make this guy their permanent number three.
Definitely possesses the technique to cut it at Test level.
Apart from this, I would also keep a close eye on the batsmen who performed well in the U-19 tour of New Zealand earlier this year – Kelvin Smith, Matt Short, Sean Willis, Damien Mortimer and Ben McDermott.
These guys are potential Test stars of the future, but need to be coached, nurtured and encouraged well at this stage of their careers.
All this and I haven’t even mentioned Mitch Marsh and Usman Khawaja, since now they are very close to the Australian setup, much more than the above mentioned guy.
Over to you Roarers, what do you make of the above list?
Steve
Guest
I wonder why Peter Forrest is out of favour...
JK
Guest
I'm sorry but this is rubbish. It is not the system that is failing, it is that unlike in boom times, players are being asked to step up before they have had the development time required. This is simply a result of senior players playing on for too long, and when they leave, they leave close together. Unlike our periods of strength, where a young player came in surrounded by greats, now, young players still inexperienced are coming in as a group, and are not yet equipped to cope. Relate it to an AFL or NRL side who cleans out a list and starts again - performances take a hit until experience is earnt/learnt. This happens to all teams, and some of the players tried now will go by the wayside, others will succeed and our time will come. Your statement regarding those players is also ridiculous..."not good enough for Test cricket"...how do you know until they have been tried?
Stu
Guest
I really like this idea. I never ever thought of it but it makes a lot of sense
JK
Guest
Yes, really. From the last 3 years TAC draft inductees, I believe 11 athletes who had represented their states at under age cricket chose AFL instead. Of the current crop of 'superstars', Jonathan Brown, Brett Deledio and Jimmy Bartel, just to name a few I can remember, all chose footy over cricket. AFL is a major competitor because the chance of making it are far greater. Now whilst this may not translate into large numbers not pursuing cricket through to elite level, it does mean that a great many concentrate on AFL from 16 upwards, which negates any chance of making it in another sport. Even if they don;t get drafted they have missed the boat for another sport. A lack of funding to skills development and talent identification is also incorrect. For example, the Cricket Victoria Regional Managers focus almost entirely on their developmental pathway, forming squads and selecting teams for state carnivals, and implementing training regimes. More accurate an assertion is to say that CA have focused on developing the 'fans" of cricket which has meant a lack of emphasis on the sport at grassroots level i.e. in2cricket, club and association community links fostered by the state bodies, school clinics. This results in less numbers playing the game, and further diluting the talent pool.
David M
Roar Rookie
The tail end of the golden era is the problem itself. Think of trying to break into the Vic batting order 3 or 4 years back, boasting Hodge, D.Huss, Rogers, White and McDonald. The same could be said for other states. The players who should be breaking through now couldn't break in past the quality that wasn't going to build a solid test team. As a yound player you may get a couple games, but you'd better perform or the next in line will be taking your spot very quickly. Anti-intuitively the poorer standard of the shield now, when compared to 10 years ago may be the catalyst to bring talent through in, players can now have a bit more of an extended run and develope together.
James
Guest
Personally I rate Joe Burns and Travis Head as the best two from your list. However don't give up on our current test batsmen, I have a feeling that at least one of them (along with Clarke of course) will really stand up this tour and play a break through innings Steve Waugh style. Whatever their issues they are talented and have the shots to damage you, as we all know they just need to stick around long enough and if they can runs will come. If we can see one or two of our batters step up, suddenly our stocks will seem much better especially when you consider the guys from the list can make considerable development in just one season.
Don Corleone
Guest
I'm not saying that. I'm arguing for batsmen to be tested on a variety of pitches i.e. playing a couple of games on easy-paced late-season pitches up north then play on the early-season seaming pitches down south.
Felix
Guest
I'd never thought about that, but it's a sensational idea!
Jayden
Guest
Why do we need to make everything easier for the batsmen? South Africa are far and away from a 'help the batsmen' stance and they're line up is one of the best. Those that can survive the conditions here stand a chance everywhere else in the world
JGK
Roar Guru
It's funny - with all the training and coaching available to young players, the top level seems to becoming more and more like the park cricket I played back in the day. With modern bats, small fields and weight training, batsmen have become lazy, relying on a good eye , strength and good equipment to get them through most things at most levels but when a little bit of skill and technique is needed they are found wanting. In park cricket, we were often taken apart by a rugby player with a good eye who just used to hit through the line.
Titus
Guest
Really? Do tall people really have the co-ordination to be good batsmen? More realistically, a lack of funding to cricket skills development and identification and a culture that under appreciates skill is the problem.
Steele
Guest
The cupboard is as bare as ever. Ponting dominating the shield, illustrates this point. There is a lot of lost cricket talent running around in the A.F.L.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Talent may or may not be lacking. Players who can bat certainly are. Phil Hughes is a case oin point. The guy is supremely talented. He is also exceptionally flawed with the cnsistently open blade and flashing outside off stump. He does seem to have got better at leaving the caughtguptillball and has certainly straightened his backlift and resulting arc, but that open face is a problem. Likewise, Warner. Talented, but too loose too often. Its OK to be attacking, but Test cricket requires the ability to pick and choose what to attack, not a hit by numbers approach. Watson. Talent, probably. Results, two years of utter failure to the point where he should even be considered for a Test squad.
Don Corleone
Guest
I think part of the problem is that these young Australian batsmen are playing on lively green result pitches, especially in the first half of the Shield season. Probably part of the reason our quicks are doing so well. Looking at the current English county scores, most of the matches have first innings scores between 450-600. It would appear they are playing on pitches conducive to big totals. My answer would be to play the first Shield games in Darwin. The reason for this is that batsmen would be playing on pitches which have gone through a whole season as cricket is played in the north during dry season (southern winter). Marrara Oval in Darwin has hosted tests and the pitches up north are usually a bit slow and may take turn at the end of the season, ideal for batsmen to get set and might help the spinners aswell.
Baggy_Green
Roar Pro
Rather than the gap in class, i would say a gap in priorities and scheduling...the Golden Era players did not have the BBL\IPL to worry about..Shield used to be the holy grail..I have been saying this and would like to say again - put an Australia A team in the shield...that way you are keeping the group of promising youngsters together and also open up some more spots in the state side for some more deserving young talent !!
Max Weber
Roar Pro
"Does Australia really lack batting talent?" From the list you've put up, the answer is, to a man, yes. Burns and Maddinson need two years of averaging 45+ at FC level before they get called up. Steve Smith needs to do the same. If Silk continues in the same vein as he's started then he's a definite prospect, while Marcus Harris hopefully will start putting scores on the board consistently too. The biggest problem is there's a gap in class between the tail-end of our 'golden era'; from the Husseys and Ponting down through Chris Rogers, Simon Katich, Marcus North and Phil Jacques, all of who are in their mid-to-late 30's, and the current team. Of players in their late 20's-early 30's who have made the step up in class, only Michael Clarke truly convinces. At a pinch there's Watson and Bailey. Then we have the young batsmen who have never really put the runs up in Shield cricket but are nonetheless the only options we have outside the veterans. The only possible exception to this is Mark Cosgrove, who for reasons legitimate or not, has never been given a chance at test level.
Showbags
Guest
The problem for Australia has never been a lack of young talent coming through the ranks. Our guys have all performed well at U19 level and we have some of the most promising juniors going around. Where the system is failing is when we ask the kids to make the step up from State Cricket to Test Cricket. It's almost amazing the amount of talented juniors that have just stagnated at State level and never been able to make the step up. The likes of Mitch Marsh, Joe Burns, Alex Doolan and more are now falling into that category. Good enough to make it to State level but not good enough for Test Cricket.