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.
Don Freo
Guest
Unknowns? Any cricket fan knows Richardson, Boland and Paris. Internationally and domestically. Brisbane and Perth are not the grounds to play Lyon. He'll play. Finally, David, there are other selectors, not just Rod Marsh.
Perry Bridge
Guest
so long as Richardson has (and he seems to) his follow through under control - his first try in ODI's saw him forced out of the attack.
James Fitzgerald
Roar Rookie
Maxwell did well during the World Cup, so naturally he keeps his spot. Richardson being an international Unknown is a bit rough. He's played ODI's before and has always been a back up bowler of sorts. I don't see an issue with picking Paris as a Bolter, he's young and the World Cup is three years away, maybe as well give him a try.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Who can understand anything the selectors do. Lyon is being pigeon-holed as a test player. But Watson who should have been pigeon-holed as a short form player only, also got to play tests. I just hope Maxwell continues to be pigeon holed as a short form player. Dont need a loose cannon in the test side, already have Warner for that.
AJM
Guest
Well said Perry, I thought exactly the same when I read it. Maxwell would probably make this team as a stand alone batsman and to fire a cheap shot at him just because Lyon's missed out seems juvenile. Ever thought that since the first 3 games are on seamer friendly wickets they might alter the balance of the squad once they get to Sydney and Canberra? -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
"He’s a “please hit me as far and as often as possible” offie." David I know you dislike Maxwell but you can't ignore the fact that in his last 28 ODIs he has taken 30 wickets at an average of 27. Even a specialist spinner would be proud of those figures.
David Lord
Expert
PB, show-pony isn't a cheap shot, it's a very accurate description of the way Glenn Maxwell plays his cricket. The only facet of the game where he's constantly brilliant is in the field. He's a "please hit me as far and as often as possible" offie, and the most unreliable batsman. I'm the first one to acknowledge he has enormous batting talent, but not the nous to harness it. He's quite capable of smashing a century off 50 deliveries, as he's quite capable of playing low percentage reverse sweeps to be dismissed when in control, or shoulder arms first ball and be bowled. Glenn Maxwell is a show-pony pure and simple.
David Lord
Expert
Wwai, Big Bash is a long way away from ODIs. Nathan Lyon has played just eight ODIs in his entire career - two in 2012 in Adelaide and Kingston, and six in 2014, four in Harare, one in Sharjah, and one in Dubai. He's never played a T20 international. Yet he's currently playing his 52nd Test in a career that started September 2011. I'd say that's a pretty fair indication Nathan Lyon has been pigeon-holed by the selectors as a Test player.
While we're at it
Guest
David, you may have missed the press piece indicating that the selectors have openly stated that they want Lyon to be available to play some BBL games, hence I don't believe he has been pigeon holed. Further, the squad named is for the initial matches only, Lyon may get a run in the last couple of games. Everyone is in violent agreement that we need more than Glenn Maxwells spin on the sub continent, but as has been said already, the team went well enough to win the World Cup in Australia without Lyon. Now if they put X Doherty in the initial squad that would raise my dander but as things are, they have chosen this squad based on the wickets that they will be playing on here, and not overseas.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Australia won the 50-over World Cup in Australia with Maxwell as the only spinner. Yes X-Man was in the squad and they made the mistake of playing him once, he was bashed around the place for a few overs and then didn't play again. So there is clear history that Australia can do well in Australian conditions with Maxwell as the sole spinner. The squad is also just for the first 3 matches, so some of these other players could get a chance for the last couple of ODI's also. I'm sure Brisbane Heat are happy. Without Lynn they would have zero chance of winning any more games!
Perry Bridge
Guest
Opening with 'showpony Glenn Maxwell' pretty well fires all your guns at once. Now - for those listening to S.K.Warne with his comparisons of Lyon vs O'Keefe - where it's clear SOK is still bowling defensive lines while Lyon has now developed his game as a test bowler - it'd me more expected perhaps to see SOK in the ODI squad ahead of Lyon. Australia still has a pace mentality and perhaps the opening line should not be around Maxwell himself - who demands his place at #6 on the back of the ODI WC less than 12 months ago - but, rather, on the lack of a specialist spin bowler. This may be the authors position - but the cheap shot 'showpony' line deflects from the message.