As the tour against Pakistan approaches, Australia must find another spinner to partner Nathan Lyon on the dustbowls of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Since the retirement of the legendary Shane Warne, Australia have tried numerous spin bowlers with limited success, albeit opportunities have not been granted for very long.
Lyon broke the trend of unsuccessful spinners, now accumulating 112 wickets to his name at an average of 32.99 in 33 Tests.
These are phenomenal statistics for a spinner, especially during the trying times of T20 cricket, bigger bats, smaller boundaries and increasingly aggressive batsmen.
However, Lyon cannot do the job by himself against Pakistan. As much as the wily off-spinner has done well during his short time in the Test arena, he has often been the supporting act to the pace of Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and co.
The problem for Australian selectors is to decide whom to actually take on tour, as Australian cricket has not been exactly brimming with talent at the first class level.
The most obvious option, based on statistics, is New South Welshman Stephen O’Keefe. The left arm ‘offie’ has now taken 126 wickets in 40 first class games, at a fantastic average of 24.83.
However, with a return from injury and a lack of a full Shield season under his belt, O’Keefe has not been in the sights of the selectors in a while.
Another wildcard would be Fawad Ahmed. Growing up in Pakistan, he would be acquainted with the conditions of Dubai as they would be similar to those in Abbottabad.
He has been in the selectors eyes recently, and his six wickets against Western Australia earlier in the season had him vying for an Ashes berth.
Another option from Victoria’s strong spin stocks is fellow ‘leggie’ James Muirhead.
Muirhead, who has already been given a T20 debut for Australia, has impressed the selectors with the major spin he applies on the ball, and how consistently he can land the ball for such a young leg-spinner.
However, he has yet to impress in the Bupa Sheffield Shield, with going wicketless in his only Shield appearance this season.
Ashton Agar is also another option. His Ashes debut this year proved one of the greatest innings ever seen from a number 11. The youngster was unlucky not to score a century on debut as he hooked Stuart Broad to deep mid wicket on 98.
However, apart from Agar’s batting prowess, he did not show much with the ball and was not particularly threatening to the Englishmen.
There is one spinner who looks as though he may get another shot in the baggy green though.
And he’s setting the IPL alight.
Glenn Maxwell, who currently is being recognised for his outrageous scoring during IPL 7 for Kings XI Punjab, is one option that the selectors may take to partner Nathan Lyon.
Maxwell bowled extremely well throughout the recent One Day Series against England, as they were unable to get him away, and picking up handy wickets along the way.
As much as he would be a safe option to partner Lyon with, Maxwell has also been in incredible form with the bat.
The innings that he has produced for Kings XI has shown what a class act he is with the bat, and will provide just more batting depth for the Australians.
With Michael Clarke’s handy off-spinners and Steve Smith’s leg-breaks, Maxwell could provide the perfect role for Michael Clarke against Pakistan. He would provide Nathan Lyon with handy support.
The selectors do have their hands full though, with Ryan Harris announcing he was in doubt to play against Pakistan in October.
Come October, a new spin bowler will be introduced to the Australian Test team.
The question is, who is it going to be?
Josh Allerton
Roar Guru
1. Lyon 2. SOK 3. Muirhead 4. Agar 5. Ahmad I'd like to think that is the current order for spinners. I'd love to see SOK gain a debut ASAP. Muirhead did look the goods and in my opinion is ahead of Agar and Ahmad based on his selection in the T20 world cup side
Armchair Expert
Guest
Yes Bearfax, you can only compare their shield records, Lyon's bowling average is late 40s, O'Keefe's is mid 20s, O'Keefe's batting average is also twice as good, enough said.
Armchair Expert
Guest
Yes Chris, he missed 1 shield game with a dislocated right shoulder but bounced back with 11 wickets in Adelaide, his batting also helped save or win the last 3 shield games last season, earning him a special mention from captain Steve Smith.
Clavers
Guest
The next spinner should actually be a current spinner; it should be Steve Smith. He has been in and around the Australian team now for five years. His batting has come on in the past year and now he looks the finished article as a batsman at test level. But as bowler he seems pretty much at the same stage he was at when he first came on the international scene. I recall his deceiving Matt Hayden with an excellent wrong'un the first time I saw him bowl, and his stumped dismissal of Pollard at the T20 World Cup in 2010 was classic. He should be bowling one or two hours a day under a top spin coach (Malcolm Francke being the best in Australia) until he is world class. It hasn't happened yet. I'm a big fan and I hope it still does.
Baggy_Green
Guest
Not now but down the line i think we have an interesting dual coming up in Muirhead vs Boyce vs Zampa...3 good leggies
Sports Nut
Roar Rookie
Seriously have a look at how old O'Keefe is getting now. He should have already played Test matches for Australia by now. If he doesn't get selected to be second behind Lyon then something is seriously wrong. This is coming from a Victorian who knows O'Keefe has played well for awhile now. I hope it is going to be O'Keefe and Muirhead that are the next two. This is part of my reason why Cricket Australia made me so disillusioned that I turned my back on the International sides.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I'd say "+1", but I think it could really be +56,676 or something. Probably wouldn't find too many people on the Roar who wouldn't 100% agree with that sentiment!
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I don't know what one he was referring to, but in the main piece there is the comment "returning from injury and with not a full shield season under his belt". If he didn't play every shield match he would have only missed one game at most I reckon. He finished as the top wicket taker and played in the Shield Final even. So I don't know where that comment is coming from.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Steve Smith is a good bowler to bring on for a few overs here and there with the possibility of taking a wicket. He gives it a good rip, and has a flipper and wrong'un. His problem is he can't bowl consistently enough to be a front-line spinner. Not surprising since he just doesn't bowl much. But he is certainly a wicket taking option if used in that way.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I really like Cummins, but I wouldn't be bringing him back to test cricket on the back of no real first class cricket for a first test series played in hard spinning conditions with little in them for the fast bowlers, meaning that the fast bowlers picked are likely to have to work hard for long periods. I suppose you could suggest that the spinners will be doing most of the bowling and the quicks coming on just for short sharp spells at various times, in which case that might work, but if the spinners start going the journey and you want to rely on the quicks to bring some sanity to proceedings then they could find themselves doing a lot of bowling. Might be better off with someone who can bowl long spells and keep it tight, with the ability to bowl some good reverse swing pretty much vital too.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I think Maxwell's recent form plus the fact he seems to play spin well could get him a gig in the top 6. However, I think Lyon being the #1 spinner makes it tough to think of Maxwell as a legit second spin option simply because you'd want someone turning the ball the other way. That's the other thing that makes the O'Keefe selection a no brainer.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
How are O'Keefe's figures not as good as people seem to think. He's had the best bowling average of all Aussie spinners in the Sheffield pretty much every single year since his debut. I don't know what criteria you could look at to suggest that his figures are some how overly inflated when he's consistently averaged under 30 in a competition that is generally a spinners graveyard with very few, if any, other spinners averaging under 35 and most well over 40.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Maxwell may have a chance to make the team as a batsman purely because he seems to be a good player of spin.
JohnB
Guest
Dylan, you're talking about a test team. Muirhead has zero form to justify being considered for any senior rep team playing non limited over cricket (and frankly not a lot of form to justify being picked in limited over teams other than as a project for the future - and I have no problem with limited over games being used for that purpose, although I question whether the major tournaments in those formats should be treated that way). Saying all that is nothing against the bloke and I hope over time he develops into a prospect - but he isn't one now.
deccas
Guest
yet he is comfortably a better spinner than muirhead
deccas
Guest
Boyce is undoubtedly a better leg spin bowler than muirhead. Boyce holds his own in thje shieffield shield, not great, probably below average, but in muirheads only match he was a liability.
Rob na Champassak
Roar Guru
Probably not Nathan Lyon. His fourth innings struggles are well documented and backed up by the stats. What's surprising is that he is a much better performed bowler in the first and third innings of a match; in those innings, he has an average under 30 with a strike rate in the 50s. He must really enjoy it when Clarke loses the toss.
Bearfax
Roar Guru
Appreciate your point Wassim. But we can only realistically compare the bowlers through their performances against the same opposition and that is the case with FC cricket. To judge O'Keefe compared to Lyons in test cricket is unfair and frankly of no value until we see O'Keefe playing test cricket. To suggest Lyons is better just because he has played well in test cricket is like saying a school boy today is more intelligent than a similarly aged lad 500 years ago when schools for all children didnt exist. because he goes on to become an engineer, while the other child remains a serf. Unless the kid 500 years ago gets the same opportunities there is no way to compare. Suggesting "'Keefe may or may not be a top test spinner is a futile issue until we see him in action at that level.
Wasim Ranamadroota
Roar Pro
Good point SG, but can I be even MORE picky and say that calling Brad Hogg a Left Arm Chinaman is tautological??
jameswm
Roar Guru
OK I think Maxwell has to be picked. His batting is on fire, not only at IPL, but also at Shield level. He plays spin well. I think we ride his wave of good form and hopefully he ends up like Warner, settling into the longer form and making it his main focus. So I think Maxwell bats at 6, with Clarke and Smith at 4 and 5. The openers are settled. So that leaves two questions 1. is Maxwell the 2nd or 3rd spinner? If he's the 2nd spinner, it's a bit of an issue, with him turning it the same way as Lyon. But you do have both Clarke and Smith who turn it the other way. If the wicket might take a bit from the quicks, you have the option of playing 3 of them. There is a secondary question of who the 3rd quick is (assuming we have Johners and Harris), with Patto out and Sids down on form. I'd look very closely at Faulkner's trickey mediums, which I think could go well on that sort of wicket. If Maxie's the 3rd spinner and we start two specialists, it's as plain as the nose on your face that the other one has to be SOK, who has the best record and turns it the other way. Maxwell then effectively becomes the primary all rounder instead of Watson, due to the decks they'll be playing on, and his greater otential to do well with the bat over there. Plus his potential generally, as all his performances are steadily rising, and he has loads of talent. 2. the 2nd question is who bats at 3, Watson or Doolan. Do you need Watto's mediums? Is Doolan worth persevering with? I think in both cases the answer is probably no, especially if Faulkner is the 3rd quick. However, Maxwell taking the no.6 batting all rounder's slot because of the decks, and doing well, could spell the end of Watto's test career. Doolan should probably get the chance, but I highly doubt he'll do particularly well. He'll be prone to LBWs early, and will struggle against quality spin. I think longer term Hughes is the best bet there, but sending him to the UAE to face quality spinners taking the ball away from him on bunsen burners might not be the smartest option. If Doolan doesn't go well, Hughes takes the no.3 spot for the next series - is that India at home? As for the 3rd quick, who are the options? Faulkner, Siddle, Starc. Bird and Patto injured unfortunately.