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Just six weeks ago, both Joel Paris and Billy Stanlake had never played a first-class match. Now, with just two matches each to their names, the emerging Australian quicks are being dubbed by some as readymade Test players.
On social media, sports forums, cricket websites and even on The Roar, many cricket followers this week have been suggesting that 21-year-old beanpole seamer Stanlake and 23-year-old left arm swing bowler Paris should be in Test contention.
It’s the latest example of flavour-of-the-month syndrome which emerges each summer as a rookie state cricketer produces a couple of sterling efforts and suddenly is stamped ‘Test material’.
Sometimes they don’t even have to earn a State appearance before the hype-mobile shifts into top gear – Jake Doran anyone?
As far back as three years ago, cricket followers were spruiking keeper-batsman Doran as a certain future Test player.
This rush to predict Australia’s ‘Next Top Cricketer’ had some followers suggesting Doran should get an Australia A gig, to fast track his development, even before he’d managed to secure his first State game.
Finally, this summer, we got our initial look at Doran the first-class player. Five Shield games later and he’s averaging 19, while batting at four, and shouldn’t be in the Tasmanian side when the competition resumes in February.
Doran may well go on to become a fantastic state cricketer and perhaps even an international star. That looks a distant goal at this point though, as is to be expected with any 19-year-old.
It typically takes an Australian cricketer at least 20 first-class games, during which a player will experience elating highs and deflating lows, before they are close to being ready for Test cricket.
In the modern era, Australia has had very few cricketers who have debuted in Tests before the age of 24 and then remained in the team for any length of time.
Most of the players who have grabbed their initial opportunity in Tests have been players with at least 40-to-50 first-class appearances.
That doesn’t mean less mature cricketers can’t handle the leap in standard. It does, however, suggest that where possible they should be given a chance to experience the tumultuous nature of being a professional cricketer before they are handed the ultimate challenge.
Which is why it is so perplexing to see close followers of Australian cricket backing the likes of Paris and Stanlake as genuine Test options.
Granted, Australia’s pace stocks are running low due to the retirements of Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson, and injuries to Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendorff.
But selecting for a Test match a bowler who has played just two first-class matches, like Stanlake or Paris, would be folly.
Many of those who I have seen backing one or both of that pair have also been running down Scott Boland, who is the back-up quick in Australia’s squad for the Boxing Day Test against the West Indies.
Boland was fortunate to be picked ahead of more proven performers like Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers.
However, he at least has four years of first-class cricket under his belt, compared to less than a month for Paris and merely six weeks for Stanlake.
Since the start of last season, Boland has taken 38 wickets at an average of 25 in the Shield. His career figures may not stack up against those of Bird or Sayers, but he at least has solid form across two summers behind him.
Once Paris and Stanlake have strung together a reasonably lengthy sequence of effective performances, then perhaps they will deserve mention as Test candidates.
Until then, let’s allow these young guys to ease their way into their professional careers before we even consider placing heavy burdens upon them.