No, you didn’t misread Ashton Agar’s name, you read correctly. Ashton Turner has been called into the Australian cricket team to play Sussex in a tour match this week.
It’s the second time a young spinner has been called upon to play in somewhat surprising circumstances on this tour, after Agar was selected over Nathan Lyon in the first test.
This time Cricket Australia has taken it to a whole new level.
Turner has not played a game of first class cricket before.
Cricket Australia have launched a positive PR campaign – with Turner trumpeted as a ‘potential star’ (David Warner, watch out – someone else is coming for those sock commercials!) and a “handy batsman” to go with his bowling.
The highlight of his illustrious career so far is taking eight wickets in the under-19s World Cup. The only issue with that being he took four of those in a single match – against Nepal. No offence to Nepal but I didn’t realise the cream of the teenage batting in that part of the world was considered a requisite tune-up before joining an Ashes tour.
So, apart from removing four of the next Sachin Tendulkars from the Nepalese batting machine, Turner took four wickets the rest of the tournament. Yet Cricket Australia still described his spin is hard to pick “even by some of the sub-continental players”. Which is why he took just four more wickets, obviously.
Now, once we get past his occasionally unplayable spin, we get to the crux of the issue: Turner can bat.
If there’s anything the current administration love more than a young spinner right now, it’s one who’s been selected because he can bat too.
It’s with that kind of selection foresight we find ourselves with the best batting tail in world cricket but have rotated through about three thousand actual spinning options since Shane Warne retired.
Which leads me to the real, underlying problem with this selection – Cricket Australia’s selection policy is now mirroring their scheduling arrangements in having zero respect for Sheffield Shield cricket.
The guy hasn’t even played a full season of professional cricket yet, let alone competed on a variety of pitches in different cities with changing batting strengths on show over a length of a Shield season.
Agar, with his hip niggle – probably more related to getting used to work loads – will attest to the fact long-form cricket is a hard, toiling task that isn’t learned while you are rushing through 10-over spells in the slow middle overs of a one day match.
Picking a spinner who hasn’t even had to run out for his state in a four-day game signals a new low in selection policy for Australia.
Yes, it is a tour match. But a tour match should be used to seriously prepare for a string of tough Test matches that will examine the skill and resolve of our players in every possible way.
A player is supposed to graduate from his first grade state cricket into the Test team via a Tour match, not the other way around.
Lest you worry; like Usman Khawaja, both Ashton Turner and 12th man, Travis Head, have spend a lot of time around the Australian set-up and training with the touring party.
We can all see how Khawaja has come along in leaps and bounds since he’s been effectively squad managed for a year instead of spending time playing tough cricket against experienced sides trying to win a match instead of a net session.
I’m not trying to be offensive toward Turner – and I certainly wouldn’t expect him to turn down the chance to play. But there’s got to be a level of planning and due course, treating the Australian cricket team like this isn’t going to pay dividends in the long run.
It’s another example of a deterioration over time if Australia’s first class strength.
We now find ourselves in a situation where Ashton Agar and Nathan Lyon, both with Test and some first class experience playing in a Ashes warm up game with a player who once got a ‘fourfa’ against Nepal.
Gottabekidding
Guest
Aint it funny how quick we are to get stuck into the Aussies on the back of 3 days of poor test cricket. The most surprising part of the tour so far was Agar getting out to a shit ball when Hughes and he looked like they would get as many as they wanted. They then got beaten by 14 runs in a game they could so easily have won. After day 1 at Lords the match was evenly poised. Sure we were terrible for the remainder of the test but if it was 1-1 going into the 3rd I'm sure we wouldn't be a bunch of weak dummy spitters. There's 8 tests to go and we will get our chances to seize big match winning moments. We all know there's plenty of room for improvement. Let's do what generations of Aussie fans have done before us and support them. C'mon Aussie C'mon, C'mon.
yeebarr
Guest
Hey - my (11 year old) son's name is also Ashton! Automatic selection!! (Shame he hates cricket)
Bemused
Guest
He had a minor injury but he was still available for all the tests if picked, you're probably thinking of Michael Beer, who was apparently next in line and like Lyon and Doherty only took a few shield wickets for the season and all 3 have 1st class bowling averages over 40, which, in the history of cricket, has never been good enough to earn a game at any level, let alone test cricket, apparently O'Keefe will never play for Australia while Clarke is captain.
Bemused
Guest
Don't forget, Ashton Turner was considered the number 1 spinner last year in the Aust under 19s, ahead of Agar, you'll find Agar couldn't get a game in any u19s world cop game last year as a bowler or batsman, not that it justifies his selection but I think it underlines how lucky Agar was to be picked in the ashes tests, especially when Australia's best left arm spinner and probably best bowling all rounder is back in Australia and (politically) can't even make the Australia A team, hopefully Clarke and selectors are proud of themselves after the 4-0 drubbing and the whipping the're getting in the ashes.
Chris
Guest
Ashton Turner plays for Chichester in the Sussex Premier League. They did get bowled out for 63 last weekend, so it should be easy for him to slot in to the Australian team...
AnthonyDarcy
Guest
I would have thought the real disgrace was Cowan, a dumped player, being captain of this side. Wow.
JohnB
Guest
John Watkins is probably the quirkiest selection in the time I've been watching Tests (since 1970) and arguably Ashton Agar was the nearest to him. Like Agar's test debut, Watkins' only test was a classic game - and like Agar he played his part in it with the bat. Max Walker's 6-15 and Dennis Lillee bowling 23 overs unchanged despite the back injury that kept him to 10 overs in the first innings (and soon would almost put him out for good) get the plaudits but Sheek's right that Watkins and Massie deserve a lot of credit. Watkins' 36 in that innings was more than half of the first class runs he ever made! One snippet is that the Windies tour squad with Watkins in it was picked before the 3rd Pakistan test, and so before Watkins' complete implosion with the ball. Hard to imagine he would have been picked for the tour if (as you would normally expect) that squad had been picked after the test. He certainly had a funny old career - he played one game late in the 71-2 season v the then powerful SA, taking 4 wickets (including both Chappells) in the first innings. He then didn't bowl in the second innings as NSW lost by 2 wickets only. Not trusted? Injured? He took a couple of catches in the innings so he was on the field. He then played his second game at the start of the next season (again v SA) and was hardly given a bowl in either innings (Kerry O'Keeffe bowled much more) and took no wickets. Ashley Mallett and Terry Jenner took wickets for SA, so it can't have been a complete greentop. He then played v WA in Sydney - not given the ball in the first innings, 9 overs in the 2nd (fewer again than O'Keeffe and again no wickets - does seem to have been more a seamer's pitch though judging from who took wickets). Onto v the Vics in Melb,John Gleeson in for O'Keeffe and at last he gets amongst them - 4-70 odd including a young Grahame Yallop and Vic stalwart John Scholes (and Maxie Walker). He took 2-90 odd in the 4th innings but couldn't stop the Vics just getting 350 odd to win. Then it was a return match v Vic back in Sydney and again he's had a single over in the first innings and a decent enough (13 overs) bowl in the second innings, but again wicketless (and a bit expensive). And that got him into the test team. Ten wickets in 5 games looks terribly light on, but maybe someone saw a lot of promise in the 2 good hauls he did take. Shane Warne got in the Test side with about that much pedigree and I guess there were plenty on here picking Adam Zampa for Australia based on less, so perhaps it wasn't quite as bizarre as subsequent events made it look. After all, Ashley Mallett had a decent test career around that time (helped by a very strong start) but none of John Gleeson (who'd played as recently as the 72 tour), Kerry O'Keeffe or Terry Jenner ever really made it as a test spinner. He went on the Windies tour, but was a mile behind O'Keeffe and Jenner. He played in 4 tour matches, actually doing ok in a couple of them. The last one he played ended up being his last first class game. Perhaps fittingly, he had a shocker with the ball - but was batting as the Australians won the game and was able to walk off part of a winning side.
Roge
Guest
There are times to admit you don't have the bowlers (in this case spin) to make an impact. Select 4 quicks and give it a crack.
Trev
Roar Rookie
With Pattinson injured and Warner suspended he isn't being picked ahead of anyone in the squad, his merely making up the numbers in a tour match.
Ratheesh
Guest
Sheek, Thanks for your reply. Yes, they would know their job better than us. I just hope they pick the right/deserving people and prepare for the roller coaster ride. You can be desperate for success, but not at the cost of causing damage to the foundation. They need to be patient. If you leave the tour of India out of the equation, they had a pretty decent run for a team in transition and considering too many players getting injured (in and out). Players taking their places for granted is dangerous. Players panicking and tensions in the back of their minds are equally dangerous.
pope paul v11
Guest
At least we are leading the Ashtons series
Ratheesh
Guest
Yes, there is no question about that. There is a serious problem with skill and technique. Ask them to whack a bowler for six 4's in an over - they might be able to do it with ease. But to block/leave all the balls in an over - they would struggle.
sheek
Roar Guru
Ratheesh, I hear you & I agree with you. I reckon John Inverarity, Rod Marsh, Andy Bichel & Darren Lehmann are all smart men. Perhaps they know something we don't ? Anyway, if our federal & state politicians are anything to go by, the collective intelligence of the country has dramatically deteriorated.
Ratheesh
Guest
A player is sweating it out in first class cricket waiting for his call to the national side. When he hears this news, what would be his reaction!! Won't he get demoralized? How can the selectors be so ignorant? There is no short-cut to success. It is not about winning or losing. As a first step, they need to set their approach right. This is plain stupidity and unfair to those players waiting in the queue. CA need to so show some patience here. I understand Australia dominated cricket for ages and this frustration and panic is because they are not used to see their team lose. It is time for them to do some analysis and try fix issues with their approach/process. Taking drastic steps to just win a test match/series is shortsightedness and showing no planning/concern for future.
Disco
Roar Guru
There seems to be a deep arrogance that the Australian system is full of talent capable of playing Test cricket when in reality most domestic players (batsmen in particular) aren't yet or won't ever be of sufficient quality. What would help the current Test squad is some Test-appropriate coaching and a cessation to the misguided encouragement for batsmen to "play their natural game" which quite frankly, has become "batters" trying to score off of every ball. To bat with application requires skill and technique - not merely attitude - and I simply don't see it in most of the batsmen, 'talented' or otherwise.
Tristan Rayner
Editor
We'll let Elisha know... and the subs who missed it ;)
Disco
Roar Guru
Yep. And I gather Australia will prepare for the return series with ODIs. the thinking is muddled, misguided and arrogant.
sheek
Roar Guru
Every so often Australian cricket will do something totally out of the norm. In my time, back in the summer of 1972/73 actually, the selectors thought it would be a good idea to select a guy named John Watkins for the third test in Sydney, to play Pakistan. He was a leggie & not a bad one at that. I mean, there have been far worse. He was a country boy who played his cricket in Newcastle & he had played a few games for NSW. He was also good mates with everyone's mate Douggie Walters & that couldn't be a bad thing. His few games for NSW hadn't demonstrated any great talent waiting to spring out & gobble up the opposition. In his test debut he was so nervous in his first over, he could hardly get a ball on the pitch, exasperating skipper Ian Chappell. Watkins did nothing with the ball, but he did support Bob Massie in an second innings, ninth wicket partnership of 83, & second highest score of 36 after Massie's 42, which ultimately prevented Australia from an embarrassing loss, since they went on to win by 52 runs. Watkins then toured the Windies in 1973, virtually being a tourist. On this same tour Dennis Lillee broke down with stress fractures in his back after the first test & Massie totally lost his swing, his mojo, his confidence & his career. Despite three of seven front-line bowlers being passengers for one reason or another, the Aussies pulled off a remarkable series victory. No-one knows really to this day why Watkins was chosen, or what the secret was to his bowling he was supposed to possess. In the end, with all due respect, he was the beneficiary of a "howler" from the selectors. At least Watkins had played some first class cricket. Ashton Turner is being touted as a potential test player & he hasn't even learnt the ropes of first class cricket yet!!!
V44
Guest
Unbelievable Joke this.....but remember 2 of the selectors are from WA, to belittle the Baggy Green, even in a tour match, by playing a kid who has not even played a first class match is just wrong. WTF is going on?
Aakash Atgm
Roar Rookie
Haha gud one carmelin