Cameron White has probably played his last Test for Australia. That is a dramatic statement.
But it is far from sensationalist when you consider that he turns 31 this year and has just been overlooked by the national selectors in favour of a player the same age whose form has been abominable by comparison in Shaun Marsh.
White has scored the second most runs in the Sheffield Shield this summer, with 556 at an average of 51 for Victoria.
In the Ryobi Cup, he was third on the run scoring list and also had the highest average of any batsman, with 387 runs at 77.
Meanwhile, in the Big Bash League, White has again been a standout performer, with 197 runs at 39 for the Melbourne Stars.
All this suggests he is in perhaps the hottest form of his 13-year career.
Yet on Monday he missed out on Australia’s Test squad to tour South Africa for Marsh, who has made just 692 runs at 21 in first-class cricket since the start of the 2011-12 season.
Marsh is not in denial about his struggles at first-class level, having recently described his Shield performances as “really inconsistent”.
In justifying Marsh’s inclusion, Australian chairman of selectors John Inverarity said that he had “the technique and potential to do well”.
“Potential” is a word that has become synonymous with Marsh.
Ever since he made his Shield debut for Western Australia as a 17-year-old we have been hearing about his “potential”.
But 13 years on surely it is time to judge Marsh on something more tangible than “potential”.
Over that long period of playing first-class cricket he has scored just eight centuries amid a poor return of 4,764 runs at an average of 35.
Inverarity claimed Marsh was highly-skilled against fast bowling and had a game “well suited to facing South Africa in South Africa”.
The Proteas currently boast one of the greatest pace ensembles in Test history.
If Marsh is capable of taming them, then why has he floundered the past two years while facing far lesser quicks on surfaces not as difficult as the seaming decks typically served up in South Africa?
In his last Test series, at home against India two summers ago, Marsh was bamboozled by India’s tame pace battery.
Despite Australia crushing India 4-0, Marsh could not handle the pressure and surrendered meekly in all of his six innings.
He scored just 17 runs at 2.83. Seventeen runs in six innings.
Of those dismissals, five were against India’s fast bowlers.
Of course, one bad series such as that should not necessarily end the career of a then 28-year-old.
If he went back to first-class level and piled up runs then by all means he should be considered again for Test selection.
However, Marsh has done nothing of the sort.
Since being dropped after his comical efforts against India he has been consistently poor in the Shield and for Australia A.
Meanwhile, Cameron White, who made his Shield debut in 2000-01, the same season as Marsh, can point to 18 first-class centuries and a career average of 41.
He has chalked up 1,066 Shield runs at 43 since the start of last summer.
Not to mention that White offers leadership qualities, something Inverarity spruiked regularly when explaining the selection of George Bailey in the Test side.
White remarkably was made captain of Victoria at the age of 20 – the youngest skipper in the state’s history.
He handed the reins over to Matthew Wade this summer.
But by then he had led Victoria for a decade during which they won two Shield titles, four T20 titles and six times made the final of the domestic 50-over competition.
In a recent piece for The Roar I argued Australia should prepare for generational change by selecting youngsters Chris Lynn and Nic Maddinson as the backup batsmen for the Tests in South Africa.
I still believe that would have been the prudent decision.
But if you are going to select a 30-year-old batsman to don the baggy green, White should be the obvious choice, not Marsh.
NQ Cowboy
Guest
This must be a gee up. Cameron White is a slogger, not a test cricketer. And please don't mention his bowling. Next thing you'll be telling me that Phil Hughes should be in the test team.
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
Spot on. Philander will sort Marsh out if chosen too, He'll have a choice of how to get him out - at his pads like Watson or the poke to the slips. Marsh hasn't been in redball form for a couple of years. He's not going to trouble anyone of Philander or Steyn's calibre at home. His only bonus against Steyn is that he's a leftie.
Armchair expert
Guest
I recall Symonds being Ponting's "captain's pick" in the 2003 world cup when apparently no selectors wanted him and Ponting wasn't a selector.
Christian D'Aloia
Roar Guru
Wow, they sure have missed a lot of tricks.
Christian D'Aloia
Roar Guru
He'll be playing a lot of games then, won't he
Marcus Halberstram
Guest
Ronan, the Marsh selection is a joke but white getting picked would be a worse one. At least Marsh looks good when he is batting. White looks like a fringe first grader. Just a hack. And some of your stats looks dubious on White. No way he has scored 18 first class centuries unless he has scored about 12 of them in England.
Troy
Guest
Play Faulkner and put Haddin at 6 over playing Marsh. If not that, play Doolan over Marsh.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Ronan I too think Chris Lynn especially should be a look into as well as Nic Maddinson. White indeed should be picked over Marsh - White can bowl too and has leadership qualities like you have said. I am disappointed White was not persevered with earlier in his career, I believe he would have been quite successful. Who knows, if he plays sometime soon, maybe he can have a Hussey-like career, long enough for a significant career average and some good bowling (as opposed to White's bowling).
Bearfax
Guest
Chop I can see why you would be a Faulkner fan. He's already a fine wicket taking bowler, is a fair batsman and is only 23. There are a bunch of all rounders about such as Maxwell and Henriquez who are young and look to have loads of potential. But the thing is you cant afford to have two genuine all rounders in the one test side especially as a replacement for a No 1-6 batsman, unless their FC batting averages are up there in the 40s. Its different with a cricketer like Johnson or Starc who are front line bowlers and contribute effectively with the bat lower down the order. But it seems that few players can manage both roles (bowling and batting) unless they are top quality in both roles. Steve Waugh tried it and finally had to settled as a batsman, before he became important to the team. Smith has seemingly given up much of his spin bowling except as a side line so his batting would improve. Watson hangs in there, but is always under challenge for his position. His first class batting averages are 43.7 but his test average is only 36.3. His first class bowling average is 28.8 but its only 31.8 at test level. Sure injuries contributed but the demands of the role are obviously immense. Those who succeed such as Sobers, Kallis, Khan, Miller and Shaun Pollack tend to be outstanding either as bowler or batsman and play in a bowlers or batsman's position depending upon which skill they have. Faulkner at this stage is averaging 30 in first class cricket batting. Forget about his remarkable one day and T20 games. That sort of form has little bearing on test cricket batting needs. Just remember Bailey, Quiney, etc. Bailey broke a world record in making 28 runs in an over and we all cheered, but that's not what test cricket is about. Now Faulkner is young enough for his batting averages to rise at FC level, and I hope they do. But at present suggesting he could handle No 6 role in a test cricket side is likely to have the same result of having Marsh in the test side. He is no where near ready for such a role. Now as a bowler at No 8 with batting skills, there is cause for consideration if he is at least the equal of the bowlers presently in line for tests. But I suspect he is not yet there either. Besides having Watson and Faulkner in the same side is like having Maxwell and Henriquez in the same side in India...disastrous.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Yep exactly. I wish they'd gone for youth but alas...
Chop
Roar Guru
For what it's worth, I actually hope that Faulkner gets a chance to play before both of them after missing out all the test summer to Bailey. I think he's got the ability to bat at 6 in test cricket as well as ODI/T20.....
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Chris Harris was a very canny cricketer but he was awful to watch.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Well Mitch has scored more runs at a better average this summer!
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I just can't see that they've picked Marsh to just tag along as a backup.
Aussie Opener
Guest
4 years makes it 2018, When their about 24 -25 . Need maturity for test level. Something I think Marsh has lacked. The way some of the boy's carry on, you can see they still lack maturity. Have a look at the ages of our most successful players when they debuted. Most are around 23 and much older.
one-eyed jack
Guest
The Oz top order was consistently found out in the recent home Ashes series by the the poms who where missing a third seamer and a decent spinner! MJ's heroics with the ball and Haddins constant rescue missions papered over the cracks. The Oz bowlers will do well in SA, but the SA batting order is chock full of quality. I don't expect them to be folding for less that 200 each time. The Saffa bowling attack is light years ahead of what the poms had on offer. Add this to decks with plenty of movement (and we all know how well Oz batting groups go against the moving ball) and the fragility of the top order could well be laid bare for all to see. Will Steyn and co. let their foot off the gas to let Haddin and the tail save the innings over and over? Philander is custom designed to exploit Watson's weakness against full, straight balls at the stumps. With the selection of a proven mediocrity like Marsh, the Hubris monitor is off the scale.
one-eyed jack
Guest
Pattinson has shown he is a cracking bowler when fully fit. On the little evidence available from a few BBL overs he seems underdone to me.
vocans
Guest
+1 about Warner at 4. But who to open if he goes there? Especially against SA in a series of great import.
Matt P
Guest
Matthew Wade is far from the finished article particularly with his keeping to the spinners. But he has got 2 test centuries in 12 matches and that while playing 5 tests in the hardest place to keep and bat in the world according to Gilchrist and Healy. Not saying he is the best but far from the worst, I would like to see Tim Paine get a go due to his superior glove work, if you play wade might as well not play a spinner. However should Wade improve his keeping to spinners then I would also be perfectly comfortable with his recall. By the way, if the talk of Watson batting at 6 is to be believed the selectors should be shot. Has to bat in the top three as does hughes. Batting at 6 should be Doolan, should he not be fit then White, should Watson not be able to bowl then give Falkner a go, can really play would be like an Andrew Symonds counter attacking 6
Chop
Roar Guru
Lets hope Marsh doesn't get picked to play, then he doesn't do any damage to the Aussie team and just gets a free holiday....