Most cricket fans would have never seen Bangladesh-bound bolter Andrew Fekete bowl.
Australian captain Steve Smith hasn’t seen him bowl for eight years, when Fekete sent him packing in an open age game between NSW and the Vics.
Such are the demands on Australia’s elite cricketers with Tests, ODIs, and Twenty/20, they rarely play first class cricket for their State, and never play club cricket.
More’s the pity.
So Smith will press the flesh again with Fekete when the new-look Australian squad marshall for the two-Test series against Bangladesh in a week.
This will be the least experienced Australian Test squad since 1977 when Kerry Packer wiped out the best with World Series Cricket.
The current 15-man squad boasts just 208 caps between them, at an average of 13.87 per man.
Take out Smith’s 33 caps, Nathan Lyon’s 46, and Peter Siddle’s 57, and the squad average is cut to less than half at six.
Fast bowler Fekete and top order batsman Cameron Bancroft are the only two uncapped. But they deserve their chance in top company.
Fekete has only played 18 Sheffield Shield games since he debuted at 28 years of age, claiming 62 wickets at 26.66.
Last season Fekete was the Sheffield Shield’s most successful fast bowler with 37 wickets at 24.19 to win the Ricky Ponting Award as the best-performed Tasmanian.
On the recent Australia A tour of India, Fekete took five wickets in the two “unofficial Tests” at a cost of 23.40 on unforgiving Indian tracks, much like those Fekete will face in Bangladesh.
Bancroft topped the Indian A tour batting averages with 224 runs at 74.66, with a top score of 150.
But the most interesting stat out of that tour belonged to left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe, who also made the Bangladesh touring party.
In the two games, O’Keefe captured 14 wickets at 20.07 with an economy rate of 2.61 and in tandem with paceman Gurinder Sandhu were outstanding, taking 24 of the 37 Indian wickets between them.
Sandhu’s contribution was 10 wickets at 18.4, and at 22 years of age, why wasn’t he chosen for Bangladesh instead of the soon-to-be 31-year-old Siddle, who has been a very honest player for the baggy greens.
But there’s a major changing of the guard.
Michael Clarke has gone, and an exciting new era with Steve Smith at the helm will reap rich rewards.
Chris Rogers and Brad Haddin have retired from all cricket, Shane Watson has retired from Test cricket, David Warner is injured and will miss Bangladesh, with pacemen Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood, and James Pattinson either “dropped”, “injured” or “rested” depending on how the national selectors view their individual cases.
But the key to Australia’s cricket future rests with 26-year-old Steve Smith.
He is a breath of fresh air and will lead from the front.
There’s talk of Usman Khawaja batting three in Bangladesh, pushing Smith to four.
No way. That must not ever happen.
Smith is by far the best Australian at first drop, leaving Khawaja to either open, or bat four.
Khawaja’s the swinger, certainly not Smith.
One thing for sure, this Bangladesh series will answer at lot of questions as to the make-up of the Australian side for the coming summer.
Australian Test squad to tour Bangladesh
Steve Smith (capt – 33 Tests)
Adam Voges (vc – 7)
Cameron Bancroft (uncapped)
Joe Burns (2)
Pat Cummins (1)
Andrew Fekete (uncapped)
Usman Khawaja (9)
Nathan Lyon (46)
Mitchell Marsh (7)
Shaun Marsh (16)
Glenn Maxwell (3)
Peter Nevill (4)
Steve O’Keefe (1)
Peter Siddle (57)
Mitchell Starc (22)
Don Freo
Guest
Wow. Just read this article where the atrocious David Lord reviews the team. He mentions "Banford" and "Cummings". Mitch is only medium pace and a "cowboy" with the bat. He hasn't seen Bancroft or Fekete play...and its obvious he hasn't seen Mitch Marsh play. Please Patrick, start reading his articles before you post them.
The Bush
Roar Guru
"Their selectors are picked on merit not on the basis of states on Zones as is the case for India" Classic. There has been plenty of Australian selections over the last decade that had nothing to do with merit.
Joel
Roar Rookie
In 2014 Siddle played 6 tests averaging 54 and striking at 104. That's mediocre by anyone's standards. He did make KP his bunny, by boring him out. His record in Australia and England is pretty decent, but his record in asian countries is an average of 41 at a strike rate of nearly 86 and his record in the west indies is even worse. Siddle is completely ineffective on slow wickets.
Joel
Roar Rookie
Marsh won't need to bowl 20 in a day, more likely the spinners will bowl 50 between them and the fast bowlers will split the other 40 between the three of them. Marsh might need to bowl 10 at the most but then we have Voges that can soak up a few overs too.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Marsh cant handle 20 overs a day, body too fragile. It's an exciting prospect to have Starc and Cummins in the same team but the risks are too high with injury concerns and erratic lines they bowl. I'll be surprised if Siddle gets a game. Fekete can bowl reverse swing, apparently.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Give Siddle a seaming wicket and he will tie an end, which allows the captain to attack from other side as shown in the last Ashes test. He did really well for us in 13-14 Ashes whitewash. I don't see him doing that in slow conditions. Siddle was brilliant against England in last 6 tests he played against them, making Peterson his bunny.... bit harsh to call that mediocre.
Joel
Roar Rookie
Amazing that all and sundry jump on the Siddle bandwagon after one decent match. His record matches his bowling ability... mediocre.
Joel
Roar Rookie
It's just as likely that Marsh can fill that role as well. The risk with taking in a stock line and length bowler is that the captain can't throw him the ball and ask for a wicket in the same way he can with someone that bowls with pace and aggression, and on dead pitched you'll need that if the spinners are having a hard time. The only way I see Siddle in the attack is if we bat Maxwell at 6 and drop Marsh, have Cummins, Starc and Siddle with Lyon and Maxwell as the spinners... but it is very unlikely
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Joel, the thing with playing 2 aggressive fast bowlers is they don't have control for long periods and if the opposition batsman has a good day we could go for many. Fekete could fill that role, I hope so. I just don't see Siddle doing it.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Yes, khawaja plays fast bowling better than spin. 3 suits him more. Smith is our best player of spin.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Amit, agree Uz should bat at 3. He is pure quality, his innings against SAF was gold. His runout in GABA was severely punished and hurt Australian cricket. It's pleasing to hear Boof will give him a nice run. Selectors are there to do a job, accountable like any other person. Decisions during Ashes cost us. England did not win the Ashes it was Australia that lost it. The moment Harris got injured Siddle should have been in. Then dropping of Watson after one game, Haddin excluded, Marsh in Marsh out just were wrong and cost us. I just hope lessons are learned and Siddle is saved for seaming wickets. My question/ concern is are they being held accountable for losing unloseable Ashes? Or the boys club are looking after each other. Just because we won the last game should not make it all go away.
Armchair Expert
Guest
The other issue with the pacemen will be the 80% humidity.
Joel
Roar Rookie
Selectors messed up by not playing Siddle on green seaming swinging pitches which only really exist in England. A bowler like Siddle is made for those conditions. On flatter harder pitches he bears very little influence on a match outside of line and length at about 3 an over. If we are to play two spinners we'll need to have fast bowlers that be aggressive and try and take wickets rather than just trying to tie down an end.
QuitWhinging
Guest
I wasn't aware Smith controlled the 10 other batsmen
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Agree, Smith at 4 is better for the team since he is our best player of spin and there will be plenty of spin considering our record and the state of pitches we will play on.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Sandhu would have been a better option with his versatility. I just don't see Siddle being effective on those slow wickets. Selectors messed up by not picking Siddle in Ashes, now if they play him they repeat the mistake. Horses for courses.
Nudge
Guest
Spot on Sideline with that team. I'd probably keep Smith at 3 though, at least till Warner's back
Amith
Guest
The Australian team will have to go through a complete rebuilding process now. Many will be picked, many will be dropped, some will succeed, many will fail. Just enjoy the game and please don't make silly attacks on specific players, till date Australia have maintianed the best selection policy. Their selectors are picked on merit not on the basis of states on Zones as is the case for India. Agree wiht maroon that we should have khawaja at 3 as he is the best 3 in domestic cricket
Amith
Guest
I like Burns but he didn't do well in the ODIs so hopefully he does well in tests. When Rogers retired, many said, the top class filibustering type Oz test batsmen as a species is 'bankrupt'. Nice to know it's Khawajaand not bankrupt. I thought, Oz are going to Warn opposition bowlers with Warner. And make them Flinch with Finch. Nice to know that traditional test openers and patient top order still exist. Khawaja will be perfect as opener or 3. And i don't buy the line that best batsman is at 3, then why was waugh at 5. Border wants khawja at 3 and i agree
Ann
Guest
Would be a great move to have Khawaja at 3 and smith at 4