With the Ashes having been lost for the third consecutive series, Australian coach Darren Lehmann has come out stating that Test careers would be on the line in the fifth and final Test.
“No-one’s guaranteed [their place]. Apart from probably Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers,” he said.
However, former Australian captain Steve Waugh has come out and urged the coach to stick with the current crop of batsmen, saying no one performs at their best with the axe hanging over them. I agree.
Over the last two years Australia have been very inconsistent with their selections, rarely being able to field the same team for consecutive Test matches. Phil Hughes, Mitchell Starc and Usman Khawaja are perfect examples of this.
Before the third Test at Old Trafford, Hughes was dropped for the fifth time in his career. Khawaja had to wait almost two years before he was recalled at Lord’s in the second Test, while Mitchell Starc was dropped for the Boxing Day Test match last Christmas, the second Test at Lord’s and the fourth Test at Durham.
This sort of treatment certainly does not give these young player any confidence whatsoever; if anything it dents their confidence. It also gives the impression that if any players fails to perform in just one innings, the axe could drop on them any moment, making players unable to relax into their natural stroke-play.
If selectors were able to stick with Ricky Ponting over 2010-2012, where he failed to score a hundred for 33 innings, and now Shane Watson, who has only scored two fifties in his last 21 innings, why can’t they stick with Phil Hughes?
It was only two innings before Hughes’ dropping that he registered a magnificent innings of 81* batting with Ashton Agar, which saved Australia from humiliation and also put the team into a match winning position.
A line ball LBW decision and unlucky caught behind later, Hughes was dropped while Watson’s position was not even talked about after a horrendous across-the-line shot and inexplicable review.
Waugh said he had first-hand experience of the benefits that come from selectors showing faith. He didn’t win a Test match until his 13th game and failed to score a ton until his 26th.
After that he flourished into one of Australia’s most successful batsmen and captains, accumulating 10,927 Test runs at an average of 51.06 and leading Australia in 15 of their record-breaking 16 consecutive Test victories.
Both Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden also struggled to find their feet in the side in their earlier years. Ponting only scored four hundreds and averaged around 30 in his first 55 innings, which included a run of three consecutive ducks, while Matthew Hayden averaged less than 25 in his first 20 Tests.
Selectors at the time kept their faith in both these players, and they would become Australia’s most prolific run scorer in Tests and ODI and Australia’s most successful opener, one of the most dominant in the world.
Hughes and Khawaja have both been seen as the next Ricky Ponting. If that is any chance of happening, the selectors must stick with them even if there is a run of low scores. At 24 and 26 respectively, they can only get better.
Phil Hughes at 24 has scored 1500 runs @32 after 26 Tests; numbers that are almost identical to of Ponting’s after his first 26 matches. Khawaja, on the other hand, has only played nine Tests with an average of 25.
The scary thing is, Hughes has scored almost 8000 first-class runs and already has 21 hundreds to his name, more than Ricky Ponting when he was 24, while Khawaja has registered 4400 runs at 40 which is nothing to scoff at.
Those numbers can only grow and become more significant as these players’ careers go on. If the selectors and the coach can put their faith and belief into Australia’s current crop of young talent it will do the world of good for them.
Gr8rWeStr
Guest
How do you really know if have, or don't have, a better player unless you give them a go?
JimmyB
Guest
+1
Chris
Guest
You've got four young batsmen, anything from none to all four might make it to decent Test careers, the trouble is, you don't know (and can't know) which of them will or won't. There's really only one way to find out I'm afraid.
zatoo77
Guest
the answer to your question is when there are better players to pick.
blocker
Guest
Not just watto, these series could end the careers of a few me thinks.
DC
Guest
My concern is that all the humorous posts about Watto could be gone next year if Cricket Australia finally decide to jettison him....he looks shot really, that 68 seemed to be his last hurrah. After the Ashes return series, they have South Africa then Pakistan. Will he last?
Felix
Guest
Gr8rWeStr you've nailed the Hughes conundrum right there. You cannot argue with his First Class record, and many Roarers jump on here, throw his statistics up and cry poor treatment. When the dust settles it's becoming patently clear that he may no longer possess the temperament and technique to succeed against the best bowlers a nation can produce. I hope he proves me wrong because we need some young players to start firing, but there is a point when you have to tap him on the shoulder and tell him he's a first class specialist, nothing more and we need to give another young player his crack at 3, 5 or 10 straight test to see if he can leap the hurdle. I hope that moment isn't now, but maybe it is.
Hookin' YT
Guest
Well said. Hussey and Ponting should have retired or been pushed after ashes 2010/11. There have been 24 tests since the end of that series and the start of this. Plenty of time to blood and develop players. Ponting had to get the captaincy taken off him FFS and he still wouldn't go. Ponting Series Averages 2011-2012 SRL v AUS 31.00 2011-2012 SAF v AUS 17.50 2011-2012 AUS v NZL 33.00 2011-2012 AUS v IND 108.80 2011-2012 WIN v AUS 24.33 2012-2013 AUS v SAF 6.40 We got some value against India, was it worth it?
blocker
Guest
Gr8rWeStr, great call. Waugh, Boon, Marsh and Jones were all in and out of the side between 84- 89 at some stage but Sawle had them pegged as players with fortitude. I don't see it in the current crop although Smith appears tougher than any of the other contenders, he has had a couple of half decent innings even though his technique is ordinary.
blocker
Guest
Maybe they should get some runs in the first place, none of the current crop, nor those waiting, are exactly banging the door down.
Sydney Kiwi
Guest
I would argue the current Batting order shows alot of promise if looked at this way. Warner (Younger player but established) Rogers (Experienced player, established) Kahwaja (Younger player, not established) Clarke (Experienced player, established) Smith (Younger player, not established) Watson (Experienced player,???) Haddin (Experienced player,???) So basically an inexperienced player is almost guaranteed to play with an experienced or established player. The problem has been the experienced players at the start of the series and in India were not performing e.g. Watson, Warner, Cowan and Clarke (start of Ashes series). Thus haven't been able to have partnerships with the younger players. Goes to show the damage the persistence with Watson has been and that isn't even counting the behind the scenes feelings players MAY have with him.
brian
Guest
Yeh i completely agree was well Renegade. But the thing is, Hughes was used as a fill-in opener for the first 2-3 years of his career when Watson or Katich was injured. Then when he was recalled and tried as a permanent opener but was given only 10 months. Then he gets recalled in the middle order vs Sri Lanka, scores a couple of 80's and shows his technique has really tightened up and he has improved a lot. Goes in India where if you're not Alastair Cook, Michael Clarke or anyone from India or Sri lanka, you're going to struggle every day of the week (justified by how every aussie batsmen bar Clarke and Siddle just couldn't cope with the spin of Ashwin and Jadeja), makes a well compiled and sensible 81* at Trent Bridge that put Australia in a match-winning positions, was very stiff to be out lbw in the 2nd innings, and in the 1st innings at Lord's and gets dropped. When are C.A going to realise these 8-10 months stints are not doing this young man, who has the potential, and probably will become one of our most profilic run scorers, any good at all. I hope C.A recall him for the Oval if Watto isn't fit and stick with him even if he scores three ducks in a row. Ponting did that in 1999 and replied with a 197 after his place in the side came under scrutiny.
Sydney Kiwi
Guest
The issue lies with what was happening last season when Ponting, Watson and to a lesser degree Haddin were stuck with rather than bring in new batsmen. West Indies and India would then have been the perfect overseas tours to get experience prior to the Ashes. Now they have to justify dropping players as they are searching for form players for the Ashes games all the while trying to go against evidence of the multiple opportunities given to Watson / Hughes / Cowan etc. To be totally honest they should use the same squad throughout the Australian leg now the squad has some experience bar maybe Agar who is a little too green (swap him for SOK!!!). One can't help the feeling that Australia could use another middle order batsman along the lines of Bailey or Vogels although that position is probably Hughes now. Watson redeemed himself abit but needs more of the same and should stay at #6,whether he will be over his latest injury is another matter.
brian
Guest
Appreciate it Red Kev. You're a roar legend mate. Hopefully some day I'll reach your highs , i'm still in high school and learning a lot bout journalism still.
Hookin' YT
Guest
Rene, Red and Pope, well said
Hookin' YT
Guest
+1
Gr8rWeStr
Guest
What happens when they have had 10 Tests and still aren't producing? That's the real question. Khawaja has never been given 10 straight Tests to make his case, and that's why I'm happy to give him the home Ashes to do so. Hughes on the other hand has previously been given 10 straight Tests as opener, his favoured position, and failed so was sent back to SS where he, once again, dominated SS so was brought back into the Test team. This time he was given 9 Test, initially at 3 but more recently also tried at 4 & 6. So what do we do? Does he get 10 Tests in each batting position 1, 3, 4 & 6 to try and make it? Or, do we need to be more nuanced and look beyond just the runs? At what point does it become appropriate to say, as dominant as a player is at 1st class level they just can't make the step up to Tests and try another option?
Hookin' YT
Guest
Ian Chappell, David Boon and Steve Waugh would be car salesman now if we went with "These guys have failed 3 times now. Give someone else a go"
Hookin' YT
Guest
Gr8rWeStr that Watson ton against Pakistan was a bent match. He got dropped more times than a beer jug at a Rugby Grand Final celebration.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
You make an interesting point about Waughy's retention. My memory is hazy on who he was keeping out between 85/86 and 88/89 when he took off? Veletta scored a gazillion I think but did not bowl, although S R was never selected as an allrounder as far as I recall. Fatcat? But had his form fallen? Siddons? Who was about the same age. Haysman? Or had he choofed of to SA? Shippard?