Maxwell's county cricket showing could edge out Doolan

I have to say the quality that seems to ultimately shine through as it has with Warner is confidence, Maxwell and Hughes have it, I never sensed it from Khwaja or Marsh, I think Doolan has it also. There is no doubt Maxwell and Hughes will get another shot, I'm tipping a shane Watson injury bringing in Maxwell to the squad to deal with Ajmal, Doolan for me deserves his spot

Both Maxwell and Hughes are in the top dozen or so first class batsmen in this country and among the most successful half dozen in recent years. I rank Hughes alongside Smith and Warner and Maxwell not far behind but both are on the rise. Sure both have weaknesses that they have been working on. But for how long do we put these batsmen down for faults they obviously have been working on very hard. Both have had very strong first class performances over the past two years and their averages have been increasing consistently. I guess the issue comes down to, if not Hughes to open or at 3 and Maxwell at 6, who do you put in there? Doolan is older and has a poorer average and hasn't yet set the world aiight in test cricket. Maddinson and Silk have loads of potential but probably need a year or two more in development and neither have 40+ averages. Shaun Marsh, Bailey, Voges, Ferguson, Cowen, Finch, Christian, North are all competent first class batsmen but are either not test quality or too long in the tooth. Cosgrove, Khawaja and Burns have the talent but just haven't been consistent enough recently. Lynn is definitely a show but we've yet to see him score big centuries. And in the test side Watson must be close to the end and Rogers, despite going through a golden period at present, must surely be coming near to his retirement. So who's left? Hughes and Maxwell may not set the test scene alight initially and may again falter. But you'll still get a better outcome from them, than the others mentioned at this stage. And their first class averages and recent performances suggest they are now too good for just first class cricket. I say give them another go when the opportunity arises and leave them there for at least 10 tests to let them acclimatize. I dont think we will regret that decision.

I think you're spot on with the SOK call. He has has strong claims as (at least) the number 2 spinner in the country. And he bats. Smith is also there as a third spinner. If Watson cannot play then we should look for a similar type to replace him; a top 6 batsman who bowls respectable seam. Henriques would be the front-runner, with the dark horse being Qld veteran James Hopes. A fit Johnson could be the difference between the two teams for the third test series in a row.

In the UAE against Pakistan? Is there any evidence Hughes has overcome his issues against spin? He did get better during the series in last year, but was still terrible. I do think Hughes can come back, and eventually become a high quality Test player - maybe captain, depending on when he comes back, if he holds his spot, and how long Clarke can continue to play. However, right now, I don't think he is in the best team to play Pakistan in the UAE. I'm not a fan of Maxwell, but in the circumstance of this series can see why he might be chosen (not at #3). If they go with three front line quicks, then Maxwell and Smith as part time spinners might be an option. I really struggle to pick many players at all with confidence for the Pakistan series.

Neither Doolan nor Maxwell. Phil Hughes should be the test No. 3.

Maxwell should NEVERRR play test cricket !!

You're right Ronan. If Doran reaches his apparent potential, he could be anything. I assume you have been watching his scores. In the recent U19 comp he was top scorer for Australia averaging over 50 and yet was a year younger than the next youngest batsman in the entire competition, at an age of just over 17. Most of the rest of the batsmen were in fact over or just under the 19 limit. The 'pocket rocket' as he is called broke Doug Walters record as being the youngest player to play for the NSW second 11. Has already scored 195 not out in lower cricket grades. Some liken him to Mike Hussey, but I've watched some of his batting and he has a very mature, correct and effective style both forward and back, and frankly I suspect he'll be better than even Hussey. Of course we cant expect him to produce wonders for a few years. He'll only just have turned 18 when he begins Shield cricket, one of the youngest on record, and no doubt will struggle at State level for a while. But in a couple of years this kid could be an immense talent.

Marsh is gone. The latest injury will ensure his test days are over I suspect. Another Shield season and the rising talent under 27 years will begin to surface and leave him behind.

Hey, we're in the top 2 or 3 test ranked sides, we have the emerging talent of Smith and Warner, then in the wings Maxwell, Lynn, Hughes, Maddinson, Burns, Khawaja and Whiteman as wicketkeeper batsman, with young Doran and perhaps Bosisto killing them at junior level, and most under 25, All very talented young batsmen with years of development. By the time many of these guys hit 30, we'll be struggling to find a place for them in the test side and several will I believe have 50+ first class averages.by then. This pessimism had us dropping down the rankings only a year or two again. Only takes a year of development and suddenly the ugly ducklings everyone comes down on, suddenly....well you know the story.

He'll be back. The English county cricket will do him good followed by another Shield season. He's not doing brilliantly over there at present averaging only a little over 31 but he's had a couple of decent scores as a No 3 bat, and looks to be gradually getting his confidence back. Mind you I would love Rogers to perform in tests the way he's performing at the moment in county cricket. Killing them with centuries, a double century and an average in the high 50s. He's hit a real purple spot.

I've grown to believe that Maxwell's star is very much on the rise. You are probably right Chris that he still has chinks in his armour. But he has a 41 first class average at only 25, so he's got the talent. And I think sometimes like with Hughes, Khawaja and before them Smith and Warner, you just have to continue to slot them into test sides to allow them to test themselves, and then be dropped if there are still some issues to be addressed and then sent back a little later on to see if they have progressed. If they were 30 + and you were doing this, I would almost suggest folly. But at 25 they are still in their developmental stage and should be given all the time they need to reach their best.

Agree totally with you Chris. Its seems the argument keeps missing the point. No one is suggesting that Lyon hasnt done a good job as test spinner. And its unfair to suggest that because one player plays tests and does well that he should automatically be considered the better bowler. The only way you can judge ability and performance is to see the players playing against the same opposition over a long period of time. O'Keefe has shown that he is in first class cricket only shaded by Warne as the most effective spin bowler we've had in the past fifty years. He outperforms Lyon by a long way at that level. That doesnt mean Lyon his not a fine test bowler, but stats suggest O'Keefe most probably would be even better.

I would agree with you about Maxwell, but in the second-half of the Australian summer he started to show something more and looks very much on the up, and the big thing in his favour seems to be that he has some ability against good spin bowling, which a lot of the better performing Australian batsmen seem to lack. I do worry when a players only decent scores at first class level are done at better than a run a ball. It's one thing to come out and go after the bowling and sometimes that comes off and you get a really good score, but even someone like Warner has the ability to play defense and hang in when necessary. I'm yet to see that at all from Maxwell. If Maxwell can keep his form from the second-half of the Australian summer going then he may work his way into test contention. Overall I don't think he's really there yet, the only thing being that the next test series is in the UAE against Pakistan and I can imagine the selectors may be a bit worried about picking a team with too many players who play pace well but really struggle against spin.

I'm not suggesting that Lyon should be dropped for O'Keefe (though I still believe O'Keefe should have been given his shot at test cricket well before Lyon ever made his test debut as O'Keefe has been the standout spinner in Shield cricket for a number of years), but how does Lyon's 100+ test wickets come into an argument as to who would be the more dangerous test bowler. Since O'Keefe has never had an opportunity at test level to reply in kind, but all the while has averaged around 25 in the Shield, year-in, year-out, in a fast bowler dominated competition where few other spinners average under 40 and since Lyon moved to NSW, whenever they've bowled together, O'Keefe has generally got more wickets at a better economy rate. Lyon's test figures show that he has been a solid test spinner, they can't be used to suggest that O'Keefe wouldn't be a better or more dangerous test bowler though. Unfortunately, that's something that you can just never know until he's tried. Most of the time only one specialist spinner is picked, meaning that to try someone else you have to drop the incumbent spinner. In somewhere like the UAE where picking two specialist spinners is more reasonable you have the rare opportunity for the second spinner to be picked without dropping the first and see them side-by-side in the same conditions.

You might be surprised. Smith batted at #3 for NSW in the Sheffield Shield final, and when the first wicket fell he basically walked out and took control. He's just becoming more and more a really solid batsman, and while 12 months ago just about everyone would have probably agreed about Smith never being a #3 batsman, I'm more and more starting to think that he may well turn into the next player to thrive, long-term, at #3 for Australia.

And his fielding has been excellent. Took some superb catches in 2013/14 (though stuffed up a runout but the Poms were 9 fer at the time).

Agreed, Ronan. Steve Smith is the obvious example of a young player being given a go and then blossoming from the faith given him. Steve Smith versus England in 2010 was a world apart from Steve Smith last summer. He now has soe real technqiue - I love the lofted drive over extra cover. Smith with an on-song Haddin when we are 5-120 are wonderful to watch. To a lesser extent, the selectors stuck with Chris Rogers (because he is older he obviously only has another 2-3 season). Yes - limited strokeplay and a bizarre cover drive but he has rewarded us with four centuries and countless solid contributions. His first couple of digs weren't flash. 4 and 15 vs India at the WACA in 2008 is hardly the stuff of legend. But cometh the hour .... he was given a chance in that awful series in England last year and was a relative success. The return series he made his own (apart from Mitch and Ryno and Lyon and Haddin). Doolan has a better technique than either Smith or Rogers - but success at the top is 90% in the head, isn't it? Self-belief.

The reason I used the Husseys as an example is because, in reality they are not bowlers at all...and that is the level Maxwell has actually achieved with the ball. He only takes wickets if someone is slogging. Steve Smith has ability and is more attacking.