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A number of names have been tossed up to strengthen Australia’s feeble batting order, from Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja to Callum Ferguson and Michael Klinger. One could be fooled into thinking Australia’s batting stocks are relatively healthy.
According to ESPNCricinfo, there were 21 batsmen who amassed 500 runs or more in the Sheffield Shield last season. Between them over 40 centuries were posted, with Adam Voges leading the pack.
Voges was impeccable at Shield level last season, but has struggled to adjust to the considerable leap in standard to international level.
Whether Voges maintains his position in the Test side is a point of serious contention, and a big performance in the final Test at The Oval may not be enough to guarantee his place for Bangladesh.
As a Test cricketing nation, we find ourselves in a considerable dilemma.
Michael Clarke will soon depart. Chris Rogers will call time on his short but brilliant career. Voges and Shaun Marsh are every chance to be given their marching orders come the Australian summer. Rational thought would suggest that Mitch Marsh will return to the Test team for the final Test, and will be given several series to prove himself.
That leaves three spots in the batting order.
With impressive recent form for Australia A, Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns seem locks for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. That would leave an order consisting of:
1. David Warner
2. Khawaja
3. Steve Smith
4. Burns
5.?
6. M. Marsh
7. Peter Nevill
Below are the statistics of three players who have been selected for comparative purposes.
Player A
Age: 30
Runs: 6141
100s: 13
Average: 39
Player B
Age: 32
Runs: 6546
100s: 16
Average: 39
Player C
Age: 31
Runs: 10,438
100s: 26
Average: 42
If we were to summarise these three players off statistics alone, which player would you select for the number five slot?
Player A is Callum Ferguson, Player B is Shaun Marsh, Player C is Mark Cosgrove.
How about now?
In an age where fitness is at the forefront of selection and diet is everything, some relics of past eras have slipped through the cracks. An exceptional strokesplayer, ‘Cozzie’ has not been the poster child of athleticism. His physique is devoid of rippling abs or bulging biceps.
But one thing he’s not devoid of is runs.
Australia’s desperate need for batsmen has left Rod Marsh and the selection panel with a sizeable headache. Unlike past generations, the liberty of picking prospects from a rich pool of talent is gone. The old saying of ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ has never rung truer.
Cosgrove has opened the innings for both South Australia and Tasmania at Shield level, which showcases his ability to be watchful early in the piece. On top of this, he possesses a wide array of strokes, and has been consistent at converting starts into big scores. Coming fresh off 100 with Leicester on the county scene, he’s an option worth entertaining.
Realistically, Cosgrove won’t don the baggy green. A greater devotion to fitness and health may have resulted in a different outcome for the big South Australian.
But before completely drawing a close on this article, reflect on past experiments. Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges, George Bailey. Would Cosgrove be any worse?
Certainly not. And at 31, he could be a vital cog in Australia’s middle order for two or three years.
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