On paper, Doolan’s a dud. In practice, Doolan’s little better. We’re told that on promise, Doolan’s due. Ignore the spin – however you cut it, Doolan must be dropped.
There is no longer good reason to grant Alex Doolan the rights to Australia’s first drop position. Doing so would be a failure of short-term tactics and long-term strategy.
The problem is two-fold: he’s doing little to keep himself in the team, and he’s apparently doing enough to keep Phil Hughes out.
Hughes’ (many) detractors rush to find reasons to keep him out of the team. His successes are dismissed as owing to sub-par bowling performances or unerringly dull pitches. His failures, on the other hand, reveal his deficiencies in technique, in mental fortitude, and even in character.
In boom and in bust, the man can do no right. Doolan may be the only one benefitting from keeping Hughes out of the Australian Test cricket team.
Doolan’s first class record in Australia is paltry. He has passed 50 every four innings. Hughes passes 50 every three.
Of course, the moaners say, the real measure isn’t 50s, but centuries. How many notches are in the belt?
Doolan has 6. Hughes has 26. Doolan converts fewer than a quarter of his 50s into centuries. Hughes converts more than a third of his. Hughes has a greater than 1 in 8 chance of scoring a first-class century every time he dons his pads. Doolan gets 1 in 20.
Hughes averages a full ten runs an innings more than Doolan on the first-class stage. The two are facing the same quality of bowling attack, and Hughes is outperforming him. If Hughes’ run-scoring potential can be dismissed because our domestic bowling stocks are so dismal (a point with little empirical support), or our pitches lack fire (tell that to the English) then on what basis are we selecting Doolan?
Clarke pointed to a century Doolan made against Pakistan A the week before the first Test as evidence that the number three has form behind him, and if the selectors reward him with a little patience, he’ll reward them with a lot of runs.
The problem is, Doolan top scored for Australia in the first innings of that tour match, and Hughes top scored in the second. Doolan has form coming into this Test series, but surely the same can be said of Hughes.
And if we’re selecting our Test batsmen based on their last performance in a tour match, Hughes has every right to wonder when this practice started. After all, Hughes scored a massive 243* against South Africa A in August and wasn’t able to find his way into the current Test tour without injury.
At a few days short of 29, Doolan is short on time to make the cut as a prospect. Historically, this is the time when batsmen are supposed to be performing at their peak of their powers. If this is true, Doolan has little to show for it.
After eight innings in four Tests, Doolan is averaging less than 24, and has only once passed 50. A strike rate of 42 indicates he’s not doing it at much of a clip either.
The incumbent’s defenders will point to a range of reasons why these figures are misleading. Clarke himself defended the batsman this week, suggesting he’s “due”. Maybe. Maybe he hasn’t had enough time to make the position his own. Maybe he’s facing unfavourable pitch conditions. Maybe he has ‘class’, that most elusive of qualities, which seems to appear everywhere except the scorecard.
None of these arguments hold water. Every reason we’re told isn’t important when considering Doolan’s future in the position was vitally important last year when Ed Cowan was dropped. Then, Cowan was failing to convert 50s into big scores, was scratchy, and was keeping better options out of the side.
But on the Test stage Cowan reached 50 every five innings. Doolan’s performance is limp in contrast. Cowan finds himself playing domestic cricket with a higher Test average, higher strike rate, and greater conversion rate than Australia’s number three
The selection decisions of the team’s management and the armchair commentariat reek of hypocrisy. On all the standards Cowan failed, so too has Doolan. On all the reasons Doolan has made the case for selection, Hughes has done the same and more.
Some insist Doolan’s not yet had a chance to prove himself. Doolan is about to hit 29. In his cricketing career to date, Doolan has hit seven centuries across all formats (including the practice match). What are we expecting him to prove?
Hughes has scored 39 centuries across all formats, and he’s three years younger than Doolan. What has he not yet proven?
shivam mishra
Guest
i agree with you hughes play no-3
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
Couldn't agree more. It was just setting him to fail picking him for this series.
Dannny
Guest
if only the Australian selectors thought like you.....
Simon
Roar Guru
The Hughes love-in is bordering on insane. How many chances has this guy already had? 3-4 long stints in the team? Playing on different decks all around the world. Has failed on every opportunity. Hence being dropped. Very harsh on Doolan. Love these so-called Aussie fans who can't wait to rubbish someone.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Spot on Ronan. I don't personally think Doolan is the answer at number 3 but to only get 4 Tests is pretty harsh! Maxwell in for this test I can deal with just on the back of fact his bowling his going to be quite useful this Test. I'm just disappointed Watto isn't currently in the team. We be that much close to a team of all rounders!
matth
Guest
Couldn't agree more. And also, we've lost 1 test! Let's get a grip people. At the moment it's actually easier to count the number of players who are safe than those that should be thrown out, based on this week's articles.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
It's a furphy that Hughes has never been given a decent run in the Test team - he got 10 and 9 consecutive matches during his last two stints in the side. That is extremely generous given he averaged 27 across those 19 Tests. Yet many Hughes fans were demanding after the SA series that he should be selected for Doolan, who apparently had been given a good run (3 Tests) and failed.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
As I've just planted some corn, can I borrow one the huge number of straw men manufactured in the writing of this article?
slurpy
Roar Rookie
I think its absolutely fair to judge him on his past failures, considering he was in form when picked then also. I agree he's got to be the next bloke picked and hopefully he can make a fist of it - but if he fails again I cant see him making his way back, unless he does a Rogers and top scores for years and gets picked at 33. There have been plenty of batsman who have been dropped once or twice and come back and dominated (Hayden, Langer, S. Waugh, Martyn etc), but can you get dropped 3 times and come back from it? Khawaja was on fire (from what I understand - I only saw his knock against Tas) in the Matadore Cup, but has broken his thumb - not sure when he is back in action. I'm starting to think Smith has what it takes to be a long term 3, and that way we can fit a Maxwell/Khawaja in down the order. My other theory - which I've said before and been shot down in flames is that if Wade is really Cricket Australias next choice gloveman (which I really hope he isn't but now he's been picked for the one dayers so it looks like he is) bring him into the test side as a specialist batsmen until Hadds retires. He can do keeper training with Brad to improve his skills and he can get used to the test arena before having the keeper/batman mantle thrown on him (again move smith up the order and Wade to come in at 6). For the record I like Neville as the next keeper.
JoshC
Guest
I've commented before that I am an un-abashed Hughes fan. The kid has talent, bucket loads and I'm a firm believer that he will cement his spot next time he is in the test team. It is a matter of when not if to me, I am that sure. You can not score that many first class runs without being a gun. In saying all of that, I would not drop Doolan for this test as it could leave more questions than answers. If hughes comes in and fails, what does that say? Not much in reality however with the way some people comment after 1 test i.e. legend to rubbish, he would get pulled to pieces. I also think Doolan should be given another shot. I personally don't think he is our answer to number 3 however I believe by keeping him in, it gives confidence to other players that they will be backed by the selectors. My predictions is that Doolan will fail and Hughes will be named in the team for the Indian series. He will go onto break all records including scoring highest ever 1st class score of 502 all before lunch on day 1..
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
I think there are few that think Doolan is test class, and then even more mystified about his selection. if anything it points to Australias lack of test batting depth But, onto Hughes...... It is obvious that this article was written by a fan of his that seems to overlook he has been embarrassed twice in tests by gaping weaknesses in his game, first outside off, and then to spin..... The way i judge him is he is a player that dominates in the game below test cricket, like the Shield, but is found out in test cricket- call my cynical/negative, but i cannot see this changing
Joel
Roar Rookie
The next logical candidate after Hughes is Khawaja but he's had his own struggles and been dropped a couple of times as well. Is it fair to judge an in form batsman on what he's done in the past? Hughes was unfortunate to get dropped after the England tour especially after one of the most resilient innings he has ever played. He was the only Australian player in that innings that looked decent against Graeme Swann. His defense has improved considerably and he plays a lot more shots on the leg side than he did before. Has he done poorly before? Yep. Should that be a reason to keep him out of the side? In current form, I don't think you can. The same argument could be made for Khawaja as well, except he has 13 less first class hundreds than Hughes..
slurpy
Roar Rookie
Give Doolan the next test. Nothing worse than a successful test side being chopped and changed (I say successful referring to the SA series prior to the UAE - remember he did make one score of note - 89 in the 2nd dig of the first test). IF we lose the next test against Pak and Doolan fails again drop him for the Aus summer. The problem with Hughes is he keeps failing. undoubtedly a great talent and in form but how many shots does he get? if he's brought in for the tests against India and doesn't kick on then he gets dropped again, is it over for him?
Joel
Roar Rookie
Doolan has a neat defensive techniques. I don't know about his attacking shots, i'm not sure i've ever seen him play one...
Joel
Roar Rookie
There is nobody in Australia's first class system at the moment with a record like Hughes. 26 centuries and 44 half centuries and the guy is not yet 26 years old. Regardless of his international record so far, the guy knows how to score big runs.
Bugs
Guest
Cameron, You are correct about Doolan - he has neither the runs on the board, nor the requisite potential to keep him there despite the lack of runs. However, I'm not convinced about Hughes. He was harshly dropped the first time, but every time since, he has done nothing in the baggy green. He's had 4 chances, and only succeeded in 1 - the very first run of the four chances. I've said a number of times that he should be left alone in the Shield for a minimum 2 consecutive years of killing it (i.e. 1000 runs) before he's re-introduced into the test team. Its a strategy that has produced results in the past, with Langer, Martyn & Hayden the most obvious cases. Even Lehmann, who was 12th man and next big thing in the late 80's had to wait almost 10 years to get a go. THAT's how you get his confidence up. Not by sending him on tours and maybe / maybe not picking him. In Doolan's place, without Hughes to pick whom I fear would fail again, you can only pick potential as there is no one knocking down the door. Chris Lynn if he wasn't injured is the man. Joe Burns is prob next in terms of runs on the board and potential to improve. Maddinson has big wraps, but is yet to do anything. Silk also has some form, but would be interesting to see how he plays spin.
World in Union
Guest
Definitely got to find a spot for Hughes - either as opening partner for Warner, or most likely, as No.3 batsman in place of Doolan. We need attacking batsman in that position - think Ponting. Not plodders like Doolan getting bogged down for 20+ deliveries before getting of the mark. If it wasn't for Warner we'd be in even more strife ... get Hughes in there NOW !
Maroon Grown Hero
Guest
It's time to embrace Khawaja and Hughes as permanent fixtures in the side (once they're in, they will perform. Both have (and are) proving they have what it takes. The has been an obvious improvement in their composure and temperament which will help them step up even more so in the Test arena. Time to stop these Bailey-esque experiments and reward the talent at their disposal.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Cameron, there is a reason Phil Hughes is not currently in the Test team. He's had 3 bites at it, including a 9 Test run. Selectors will bring Hughes back when the time is right and in batting position that he will get a long term crack at. They are not going to use him as a Band-aid solution in conditions he's clearly struggled in. You can trot out whatever stat you want, but some players have difficulties transforming FC Class performances to Test performances. Hughes is not the 1st, nor will he be the last. He is in a similar position that Matt Hayden, Justin Langer & Damien Martyn found themselves in. I don't doubt that long term he can, but for his long term future, the selectors would be negligent to bring him back for this test.
Bob Sims
Guest
Just put Hughes in for Doolan and have done with it - he deserves it, will do much better than Doolan has and can move up to opener when Rogers retires after the Ashes. Perfect solution.