Jordan Silk’s name may not have been mentioned as a future Test skipper, but he is definitely in the minds of Cricket Australia’s hierarchy for being a viable captain option down the line.
In August, Australia’s National Performance squad toured India under the watchful eye of national talent manager Greg Chappell.
His job is to mentor Australia’s best young cricketers and turn them into hardened international players who possess the traits needed to thrive on the world stage.
Silk was selected to captain Australia’s most talented young crop of players on a tour designed to provide the squad with much needed education and experience.
This prestigious opportunity provided Silk with precious access to Chappell, one of Australia’s most successful Test captains and batsman.
Graeme Hick and Mike Hussey are influential batting coaches at the National Performance Centre of Excellence, who accompanied the NPS on their tour. These three coaches not only have a combined record of more than 88,000 first class runs, but they share a wealth of experience and knowledge that Silk can tap into and replicate into a memorable Test captaincy and batting career.
Dan Marsh, coach of the Tasmania Tigers, selected Silk as the skipper for Tasmania in the first three games of the Matador One Day Cup in early October. With regular captain George Bailey and vice-captain Xavier Doherty away on national duties in the UAE, Marsh chose to overlook ex-Test player Ed Cowan, who has played 18 Tests for Australia and 100 First Class matches.
Marsh opted to give the reins to a future Test skipper rather than a seasoned campaigner. Based on the Tigers coach’s in-depth experience and invaluable knowledge, anointing Silk as the replacement captain was not only the best choice for Tasmania, but also for the future of Australian cricket.
Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Mike Hussey, Simon Katich and Darren Lehmann. What does 22-year-old Jordan Silk have in common with these legends of Australian cricket?
They have all held the treasured Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award for being the best performing contracted first class cricketer in Australia, who has played less than 10 games and is under 24. It’s no coincidence that Silk has had a similar early career progression as some of Australia’s best batsmen.
What cannot be ignored is that Silk has risen to the majority of challenges he has squared up to in his short but extremely successful first class career over the last 18 months. Let’s keep in mind that the opening batsman from Penrith (NSW) holds the Sydney first grade record for being the youngest player in the 121-year competition history to score a century on debut at the age of 16.
Four years later Silk was recruited by Tasmania on a rookie contract with the intent to earn his stripes playing club cricket and in the State Futures League for Tasmania. Out of nowhere, ‘Silky’ made his State debut at the end of the 2012-13 season, leading to him playing in a Sheffield Shield Final – only his third first class game.
With so much at stake in the penultimate game for the most uncompromising domestic competition across the globe, Silk carved out a marathon innings of 108 that belied his youth and led Tasmania to the title. Such an experience will be crucial when Silk is thrown to the lions in Test cricket and he dons the cherished baggy green cap.
Once again, Silk rose quickly and naturally to the next level, when he was called up for two Australia A tours in 2013 after scoring three first class tons in only five outings. The lanky red-haired batting machine starred in the tour of Europe and Africa with more than 500 runs at an average of 75.
Silky’s skill to anticipate the length of a ball and respond with a definitive movement has been compared to Ricky Ponting, Australia’s best batsman since Donald Bradman. Silk’s fielding is emulated on Ponting and his intensity in the field is similar to his childhood hero.
Both men figured in several key partnerships at the end of the 2012-13 season, which served as the ultimate apprenticeship for Silk as Ponting’s career was winding down and essentially there was a changing of the guard. It’s impossible for Ponting not to have had a profound impact on Silk’s batting and mental approach to cricket.
In his short career thus far, Silk has been no stranger to the big stage and has risen to the occasion when required. This proves that the young lad from Penrith has the mettle needed to prosper at Test level, possessing the same qualities other legendary ex-captains showed in the early days of their careers.
Even though Australia’s Test side has made huge strides to the world number two ranking, they haven’t addressed their batting inconsistencies due to excessive collapses at critical junctures that demand unflappable heroics. If Jordan Silk piles on the runs in Shield cricket this season and we keep on seeing the same old story with Australia’s top six batsmen, Silky should be rewarded for his performances and more so for his ability to churn out runs in pressure cooker situations.
If he stays in the Test side for another four or five years, this would be the ideal preparation for Silk to evolve into a future Test captain.
Steve Smith is certainly the frontrunner to replace Clarke when his time is up, but it’s not a one-horse race for the captaincy. Silk has never been the golden child or expected to be the x-factor player in his career, however, he has found a way to blossom through his solid technique and unwavering temperament.
If Silk continues to develop his leadership qualities under influential mentors and he matures in the same fashion that his batting has escalated, it’s not out of the question for Australia to be led on to a Test ground by this young man.
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