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The forgotten quick of Australian cricket, Ben Hilfenhaus, has received a timely boost after being named as one of eight fast bowlers in contention for this summer’s Ashes.
When Hilfenhaus was overlooked for the recent Ashes tour it appeared the selectors may have decided to move on from the 30-year-old paceman.
It was a huge blow to the burly Tasmanian, considering he had taken 44 Test wickets at an average of 21 in his previous 10 Tests and had been the leading wicket-taker in the 2009 Ashes in England.
Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Clint McKay and Chadd Sayers have been identified by Australian management as key quicks competing for spots this summer, cricinfo.com reported.
Mitchell Starc has been ruled out of the upcoming Ashes, while James Pattinson and Jackson Bird both have had injury setbacks.
Last summer, Hilfenhaus battled manfully against a prodigiously-talented South African batting line-up on two extremely flat pitches at Brisbane and Adelaide, claiming six wickets at 35.
He was rested for the final Test of that series, along with Peter Siddle, after the pair bowled themselves into the ground trying to secure a victory at Adelaide.
Hilfenhaus then suffered a side strain early in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Hobart and was ruled out of the rest of that series.
He made a strong return to first-class cricket in the New Year, finishing with 26 wickets at 24 in the Sheffield Shield for Tasmania.
I recently assessed Australia’s pace options for the Ashes in a piece for The Roar and named the six quicks I favoured – Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, James Faulkner and Chadd Sayers.
When I re-read the article after it was published I found myself thinking, “Sayers instead of Hilfenhaus? Why?” Both players perform the same role as swing bowling backups.
Pattinson’s recent concession that he will likely miss a chunk of the Ashes this summer because of his back complaint makes Hilfenhaus an even more attractive proposition.
With injury concerns surrounding Pattinson and Harris, that leaves Siddle as the only first choice quick whose health is not a significant concern.
Hilfenhaus provides insurance as an experienced, dependable replacement should either Harris or Siddle get injured before Pattinson returns.
I asked myself the question whether, in such a scenario, I would rather Mitchell Johnson, Faulkner, Sayers or Hilfenhaus as the third quick to partner Harris/Siddle and Bird.
Johnson is a roll of the dice as it’s impossible to predict at which end of the spectrum his performance will lie.
To my mind, he should be considered as a WACA specialist only.
Sayers, meanwhile, would offer almost exactly the same product as Hilfenhaus yet at a slower pace and without the experience of having taken 99 Test wickets at 28.
He is undoubtedly talented but in the searing pressure of a big series I would rather call on a veteran than a debutant.
It must be said that Hilfenhaus has a very mixed Ashes record.
He went from being the leading wicket taker on either side in the 2009 series to cannon fodder in the 2010-11 contest.
His return of 22 wickets at an average of 27 in the 2009 Ashes has seemingly been wiped from the memories of many cricket followers.
That is not surprising given how ineffectual he was in the following Ashes down under when he took just seven wickets at 59 over four Tests.
Hilfenhaus did not spray the ball around and gift England easy boundaries in that series – his economy rate of 2.62 runs per over was bettered only by England’s Tim Bresnan (2.6) among the top 10 wicket takers.
He was, however, utterly toothless. His trademark late swing was absent and his pace and carry were noticeably down.
There was something wrong – he did not look the same bowler he had been before or indeed the one he has been after.
It later emerged Hilfenhaus had battled with knee tendonitis and rib soreness which had affected his action and reduced his pace that summer.
But since that horror series, Hilfenhaus has taken 44 Test wickets at 21 in his 10 Tests, as noted above.
At 30 years old, he may still have two to three years left in him to compete at the top level.
Considering the frailty of Australia’s quicks, particularly veteran spearhead Ryan Harris and gifted youngsters James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, he remains a valuable backup.
While the bodies of that young trio mature in the next few years Australia have the luxury of calling upon a veteran with an impressive Test record. They should do so.