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Within some of the greatest challenges lie the greatest opportunities. Beating the great Aussie teams of the past was a tough job for every team – whether at home or away – and English selectors took this challenge as an opportunity.
In 2005, English selectors took a brave decision by axing their best player, 36-year-old Graham Thorpe, and giving a chance to Kevin Pietersen.
The result? Pietersen was a big difference between the two sides at the end of the series.
Since the arrival of KP on the international scene, England has broken many hoodoos – they won back the Ashes after 18 years, won in Australia after 24 years, won in India after 28 year and won their first ever ICC trophy.
You need an impact player to change the fortunes of team.
On the other hand, Australia’s selectors are still playing on the back foot trying to save their skin.
The national selection panel (NSP) introduced Chris Rogers at the age of 35 and have now recalled Brad Hardin, who will be 36 in next month and played his last ODI in Feb 2013 against the West Indies, to the one day side.
There are five players who are in 30s in the ODI squad for the series against India. Since World Cup 2015 is just 16 month away, why are the NSP is still persisting with old hands?
Michael Clarke’s chronic back problem and Shaun Marsh’s hamstring injury provide an excellent chance to introduce young troops in India.
A couple who are very strong contenders for the Indian series are Joe Burns, who is already there for the Indian Champions League and will be used to the conditions, and Nic Maddinson, who is in a great form.
Australia’s selectors should learn from their English counterparts that you can never restore lost pride by investing in your past, you need be proactive in your approach.
Australia should have considered Peter Handscomb instead of veteran Brad Haddin for the Indian tour, as Greg Shipperd (Victorian coach) rates him the best player of spin in Australia after Michael Clarke.
And Australia is in dire need of such player in the national side for Ashes and away tours, particularly on the subcontinent.
Touring India is always tough for Aussies. They have not win a single Test match since 2004 and ODI since 2009 but it will be made even more difficult with Australia going with out of form players.
The NSP retained almost the same team for tour of India as they had in England, apart from couple of changes. I don’t know how the NSP justify the selection of Phil Hughes and Brad Haddin – what they have done to get in the side?
Hughes has played four ODIs and could not score 50 runs. He was vulnerable against spin and seam in India and in England also. There is a chance he will not be in the playing XI, so why he is going?
If Aussies continue to miss such opportunities to develop a team for the Ashes and World Cup, there will be a leadership crisis in the side after couple of years because both George Bailey and Michael Clarke are in their 30s.
Now is the right time to develop a future leader under the shadow of Bailey and Clarke.
Apart from Shane Watson, Clarke and Bailey, everyone is fighting for a place in the team. There will be another transition waiting after the fake transition of the Andrew Hilditch era.
If you lose a series with a young squad it will be learning curve but if you lose the series with a squad like this there will be drastic changes as the World Cup is just about the corner.
This squad also put a question mark on the importance of the Ryobi Cup in the eyes of NSP, as no one from champion side Queensland is in the squad.
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