Fawad Ahmed has not earned his Australian cap. In seven 50-over matches for Australia and Australia A during the past five weeks, Ahmed has taken just four wickets at an average of 92.
When the Victorian was picked as the sole specialist spinner in the ODI squad for the T20 and ODI portion of Australia’s Ashes tour, chairman of selectors John Inverarity claimed the leg spinner’s form justified his inclusion:
“Fawad has been a consistent wicket-taker on the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa,” Inverarity said.
“He is a mature and very good leg-spin bowler and the NSP [national selection panel] is keen to see how he fares in international competition.”
A consistent wicket-taker? Ahmed was handed his Australian cap on the strength of taking 2-274 for in the 50-over matches on that tour of Africa.
Some cricket followers have suggested the former Pakistani’s rapid ascension may be due to cynical motivations by Cricket Australia to appeal to untapped segments of the country’s ethnically-diverse population.
I cannot be sure that is incorrect. But it is likely the selectors were seduced more by his trade than his Asian heritage.
Successive selection panels have been desperate to unearth a fresh leg spinner ever since the retirement of Shane Warne, arguably the greatest bowler in cricket history.
This fascination with leggies has prompted desperate selections, such as casting part timers Cameron White and Steve Smith as frontline Test spinners.
It should be said Ahmed is just the latest in a long line of Aussie players who have not earned their Test or ODI caps in recent years.
But if anyone was to replace incumbent spinner Xavier Doherty it should have been Nathan Lyon, who has been starved of opportunities in ODIs.
No doubt some will claim using Lyon in limited overs cricket will teach him bad habits, given many limited overs spinners are tempted to bowl darts in an effort to be economical.
However, I would argue exposure to aggressive batting would probably enhance Lyon’s Test capabilities.
The best players of spin in all formats typically attack tweakers from the get-go and do not allow them to settle into their spells.
Lyon’s captain, Michael Clarke, is a prime example, frequently skipping down the wicket to slap slow bowlers through or over the infield.
Lyon’s lowest ebb as a Test player came at Chennai in February, when Indian captain MS Dhoni vaporised the offie en route to pillaging 224 from just 265 balls.
Dhoni was brutal in his assault on Lyon, reaping 104 runs from 85 balls against the Aussie.
In the face of this ceaseless belligerence, Lyon had no answers.
Granted, Dhoni in such rollicking touch would mete out similar punishment to almost any spinner on the planet.
But what struck me most about his one-sided battle with Lyon was that the South Australian appeared shocked by the onslaught.
It was clear he had not often encountered such unrelenting aggression.
That is not surprising, considering he has bowled just 156 overs in List A cricket, only one tenth of the number he has delivered at first class level.
In ODI cricket, Lyon would constantly confront the challenge of trying to master a marauding, skilful batsman, whether it be Dhoni, Chris Gayle, AB De Villiers, Kevin Pietersen or Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Michael Clarke is a bold captain who would be very unlikely to instruct Lyon to bowl defensively at ODI level.
Instead Clarke, whose chief captaincy mentor appears to be Shane Warne, would encourage Lyon to flight the ball and challenge the batsmen to take him on.
Saeed Ajmal and Graeme Swann are Test cricket’s two best spinners by a considerable margin.
Yet both are fixtures of their country’s ODI teams and have flourished in the format not by spearing the ball in at the batsman but by deceiving them through the air.
The three greatest ODI spinners in history – Muttiah Muralitharan, Warne and Saqlain Mushtaq – all successfully utilised similarly attacking approaches.
Lyon’s encouraging efforts at Test level, more so than his modest List A record of 20 wickets at 35, have earned him a crack at ODI cricket.
Under the leadership of Clarke, such exposure should only make him a more rounded and effective Test bowler.
Lyon also appears better equipped than any other Aussie spinner to prosper in the 50-over format.
He certainly deserves an ODI spot far more than Ahmed.
Rufus
Guest
True - 2001/2002 in particular he was unstoppable. (in response to Varun)
Gav
Guest
Must agree Our selection policy with spinners has been poor ever since Warne and McGill retired. Hauritz was treated particularly poorly, just when he was showing good signs, and more recently Lyon. Aussie cricket has a strong favoritism for spinners who take the ball away from the bat........I believe this is what's responsible for Agars and Fawads sudden rise. I find it hard to resist that myself, but trailing unknowns in an opening Ashes test is hardly the way to go. Is our shield competition really gone so far backward that these guys can't prove themselves there? Full credit to Lyon the way he handled himself in the early part of the Ashes and even more credit to him for his results and bowling in the second half of the series. I can't say I'm a fan of offies generally (but I do enjoy watching Swan bowl), and Im not Lyons greatest fan either, but I think we should stick with him. Swan is the only regulation offie I've seen in recent memory, that puts the right work on the ball to get the ball moving sideways through the air, dipping, then turn off the pitch, combine that with the fact that he is now experienced and wow what a package! What will Lyon look like in 12months if we stick with him? He certainly ticks boxes in terms of being hardworking and what he brings to the team culture.
expathack
Guest
I'm starting to come around to that idea Fonz. Think the whole Ed Cowan experiment, coloured my view on sticking to players no matter what....
expathack
Guest
"but have no idea what huss was thinking when he gave lyon the song. by the way, who sung it when he was dropped?" Don't think not having anyone to sing the Australian victory song has been much of a problem this year mate.....
Jonty23
Guest
The constant plumbing of the "A" games these days by CA is the perfect environment to trial players like Ahmad , clearly the selectors have seen something but knocking over a couple of shield players bereft if spin playing ability is a lot different to next can of the rank or players withinternational experience . Don't buy the theory of selecting due to his heritage , that's just rubbish . I'm with you Ronan stick with Lyon, he's as good as we have , he's a competitor and will become a solid performer .
Cantab
Guest
X10
ChrisUK
Guest
Weird side Pakistan, aren't they?
Aussie in London
Guest
Totally agree, this idea of shoehorning an all rounder in is a joke - have 6 batsmen, a keeper, 3 pace bowlers and a spinner. IF any of them can either bowl/bat a bit then it should be considered a bonus, not a necessity. I also find Australia’s quest for our own Flintoff quite puzzling too. Kalis has been at it for ages yet CA never felt the need to replicate that?
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
It's been a pretty good series so far.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Bhaji is actually his Indian nickname Jimmy. Rufus you're right it's too early to write off Ahmed and he may well prove to be competent at international level. But that still doesn't change the fact I think Lyon deserves the chance to play ODIs far more.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Varun I always thought he struggled in Aus and the stats say he averaged 38 in Tests and 41 in ODIs down under.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
That's a strange reading of what I wrote but each to their own.
Aussie in London
Guest
I was thinking the same thing, the whole side gets chopped and changed, no matter what format. In terms of these recent selections, it's been bemussing some of the choices. Agar is a classic example - limited FC record, and in the context of the side we sent out, it wasn't lke we were desperate for a spinner? Following on from that, Lyon might have his faults and is no where near Warne (will anyone ever be?) but he is in his mid-20's and still has a lot of time ahead of him. And dont get me tarted on that chap, Turner I think it was, on that AusA tour, when he had no FC experience!!! It's mind boggling! Obviously the selectors have contact with coaching staff and the players to fully evaluate their ability and form a good qualitative assessment, not just quantitative performance based and stats which is all we can go on, but really, none of our inclusions since c. 2005 have looked like coming good. Something's got to change, I know we lack depth, but why cant they just say 'ok, this is the squad, lets leave it as it is and work on these guys' they all have the capability and it would allow them to keep their mind on the job rather than worrying about getting cut at any moment. Might even help those that are about to make the transition to the national side - they can continue to build their game and case for selection rather than parrachuting them in underprepared?
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Ahmed did have a good Shield campaign last summer.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
They played Lyon at the WACA last year against SA though that may also have been because Australia was fielding a totally revamped pace attack after Siddle, Hilfy and Patto fell over in the previous Test.
cantab
Guest
Gez, good match going on between Zim and Pakistan,
cantab
Guest
I don't think his selection is any worse (or better) than the previous 5 (ish) spinners. It would seem the selectors aren't happy with the spin options and therefore have given everyone a go. Not sure why Lyon hasn't been given more of a go, though I'm happy for Lyon to not play ODI if it means they are going to pick him every test (with the exception of when a pitch warrants an all out pace attack).
JimmyB
Guest
I get it, you Aussies and your nicknames.
JimmyB
Guest
Bhaji?
Varun
Guest
Bhaji at his peak was world class, sure he hast been good in the last few years but 5 years ago e was very good