Showpony Glenn Maxwell is the only spin bowler in the Australian ODI squad to meet India in the five-games series, starting January 12 at the WACA.
Heaven help us.
Why Nathan Lyon, the best spinner in Australia by the length of the straight, has been pigeonholed as purely a Test bowler beggars belief.
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This has happened before to one of the best players in Australia’s current limited-overs line-up. David Warner was rated for years as a limited-overs specialist, before being given a chance in the whites.
He is now one of Australia’s most important batsmen.
Lyon again missed out, leaving Maxwell as the sole spinner. He will receive a little help from part-time leggies Steve Smith and David Warner.
It’s a badly balanced squad, with pace to burn among known qualities like Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and James Faulkner, but three unknowns at international level – Scott Boland, Kane Richardson and Joel Paris.
Boland has been knocking on the Test team door recently as a squad member, but his limited-over stats at state level haven’t been great.
At 26, Boland’s played 28 limited-overs games for the Vics, taking 41 wickets at 30.82. In the current series he has seven wickets at 37.28.
South Australian Richardson (24) finished second in the domestic cup to Mitchell Starc’s 26 wickets with 15 at 22.73. The Pune Warriors saw something in him after only six first-class games, signing him for $700,000.
Western Australian Joel Paris (23) is a left-armer and the bolter in the squad.
He took 10 wickets at 22.40 in the domestic competition and selection chairman Rod Marsh has high hopes for him.
“Joel is an exciting prospect who swings the ball well and has bowled beautifully in the Big Bash League for the Perth Scorchers,” Marsh said.
“He has had very good figures in short-form cricket and we really want him to make the most of this opportunity.”
That quote doesn’t make sense in the light of no Nathan Lyon, a tried and tested campaigner.
Yet a raw bowler like Paris gets a run, with the selectors hoping he makes the most of it.
Apart from Lyon, James Pattinson, Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja, Joe Burns, explosive Brisbane Heat skipper Chris Lynn, and Hurricanes master blaster Dan Christian all missed out.
Hopefully they will be remembered when the Australian side for the World T20 tournament is selected next March.
The Australian ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, George Bailey, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Joel Paris, and Matt Wade.
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