According to Mark Waugh in one of his commentary stints during the BBL final Usman Khawaja is currently batting better than Brian Lara.
It was Khawaja’s sublime man-of-the-match winning and title-securing innings of 70 off 57 balls in the BBL finale that had Waugh digging for superlatives. What he came up with was the Lara comparison.
It was a massive call and certainly an intriguing one.
Over the years Waugh has been somewhat of a master of understatement.
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Unlike many recently retired players he does not simply anoint every Tom, Dick and Harry as being a great, a legend or a superstar.
So when he made the comment about Khawaja’s rich vein of form it was certainly a big call and one that really stood out.
More so when you consider that he is a member of Cricket Australia’s national selection panel.
However, two days after Khawaja’s innings which ended Sydney Thunder’s BBL drought, he was nowhere to be seen when Australia launched its T20 campaign against India at Adelaide Oval.
He had not been selected in the squad.
He was rushed into the side for the third and final game of the series in Sydney as a replacement at the top of the order for injured skipper Aaron Finch.
Khawaja made 14 off six balls before being caught behind.
He is currently part of the ODI squad for the three matches against New Zealand.
That series started yesterday at Auckland – sans Khawaja – with Australia copping an embarrassing 159-run hiding.
When Steve Smith announced the starting XI for the Eden Park encounter social media was quick to reverberate with the fact that Khawaja was not one of those named.
How could he not be there when one of the selectors just two weeks ago said he was batting better than Lara?
So what happened?
Was Waugh merely trying to be entertaining or provocative with his call on Khawaja? Was he outvoted at the selection table for the T20 series against India? Or are those currently playing short-form cricket for Australia all performing better than Lara as well?
The fact that the ODI and T20 teams have lost five consecutive games would indicate that the latter theory has been debunked although doubtless it ever existed.
Which leaves the other two possibilities – Waugh was attempting to be controversial or his glowing assessment of Khawaja was not as keenly felt by his fellow selectors.
Either way, it is a debate that should not be taking place.
Having a selector working as a commentator is never a good thing.
In fact, it should be a stipulation made by Cricket Australia when it appoints someone to the panel.
Selectors should not be commentating on the players they are paid to hire and fire.
There is no good that can come from it.
Over the years I have witnessed some cringeworthy television where the likes of Mark Waugh and Allan Border have been wearing both hats.
Their fellow commentators bait them and try to get them to answer questions about why so-and-so is not playing or whether an incumbent is on thin ice by dint of recent performances.
What can a selector really say in such a situation?
Worse still perhaps is when, as Waugh did of his own volition, a selector makes a stratospheric judgement and waxes lyrical about the form of a player and within a few days the said individual is nowhere to be seen when squads are announced or team lists released.
Everyone is short changed when a selector is also a commentator – the selector himself, the audience and most importantly the players he is being paid to talk about.
No selector can truly speak openly and yet that is what his media employer is paying him to do.
We want commentators who can call it as they see it while the selectors’ job it is to pick the team.
The two cannot be one.
It is time Cricket Australia realised that too.
Amith
Guest
I'm sorry for my stupid & repetitive comments re Usman.
Robert moore
Guest
Agree with the article the other commentators continually bait Waugh re selection issues.He is between a rock and a hard place as he can't really give his opinion on players which may impact on his selector duties
Don Freo
Guest
That's a weak as water, Anon. No wonder you don't want to put your name to anything. He was complaining that he should have had a white tea with sugar. Black tea doesn't give the required energy.
anon
Guest
Maybe part of the problem is the coach of the Australian team. Back in 2003 Lehmann yelled out "black c..." when he was angry after being dismissed by Sri Lanka. Is it really suitable to have a guy with such a dismal attitude towards people with dark skin, to be in a position of power and influence in the Australian team. I'm not sure Khawaja himself would be comfortable working under someone who harbours such attitudes to people with dark skin pigmentation.
Jacko
Guest
Somewhat akin to AFL presidents calling games and giving their opinions on players from other teams.
Balanced
Guest
Thanks Kev, like you I hadn't thought much about it until Glenn posed the question "was Waugh trying to be entertaining or provocative with the statement"? In the context it was neither, because he didn't actually make the statement. The extra detail does not in and of itself affect Glenn's argument. I just thought it was important for anyone who hadn't seen the incident live to know it wasn't a case of Waugh just making a big statement out of the blue.
Darren
Guest
Don I don't know whatuntil yesterday means in the context of my post. I rechecked and nothing Iwrote changed yesterday if anything yesterday only reinforced a couple of my points. I do admit much Of my annoyance with Khawaja's non-selection stems from the BBL semi final when I was at Adelaide Oval and watched him calmly destroy the Strikers. He was the difference between the two teams. I thought what is he doing here? It wasn't just the runs he made but the way he went about the was so far above everyone else in class it was ridiculous. And it has been the same in every other game I have seen him play this summer. Before the summer I couldn't have cared less if they picked him or not but his form, talent and obvious confidence in his complete has just made it ridiculous he is not in
HarryT
Guest
Waugh decides whether you get paid $60K or $600K. I don't think he should be commentating. Surely it is wrong that people see a division in opinion amongst the selectors and suggestions of various agendas. Waugh has put his chairman of selectors in an unenviable position.
Don Freo
Guest
Until yesterday, Oz scores 300 every time they go out. Ussie has to wait...just as Marsh, Lynn, Head...etc have to wait. This is a good thing. Ussie, by the way is not that much better. There are many in great form. He'll get a go...probably in the next 2 games. Relax.
Matt
Guest
You completely miss the real story here. An Australian selector should not also be employed by a BBL team. The possibility to corrupt the BBL comp by making or n
Darren
Guest
Except he has performed at Intl level in the tests and there have now been three chances to bring him in - Warner on leave, Smith and Warner rested and Finch injured and on each occasion the selectors have brought in Marsh even though he has not been one of the great performers in these matches and Khawaja's intl form this summer is far better than Marsh's.
abz
Guest
I don't care if he commentates as long as he picks Khawaja . I wasn't sure before this summer now I think he is the no1 bat in the country , just pick him .
Darren
Guest
Don this last non-selection is now one of a few. I don't think it is necessarily a Marsh v Khawaja thing. The point is that Khawaja has been the form Australian bat of the summer. Not only is he making more runs than anyone - admittedly mainly in Test and T20 not one day (but since Matador Cup he hasn't had a chance to play one day) but the way he has made the runs has made him look a class above other Australian bats. There simply must be a spot for him in the Australian team all formats. I wouldn't care it is Warner, Finch, Marshes or Bailey (not Smith) in the shorter forms - there just has to be a place for him based on form. I do agree that by adding him in to a team that is failing puts added pressure on him - all the more reason he should have been in the best 11 and then rested as required - the way Warner and Smith have been managed. He should be seen as in their company not a fill in when there is an injury. Having said all that, I remember it took the selectors quite a while to include Steve Smith in the one day team despite his incredible test form a couple of years ago.
Ron Swanson
Roar Guru
Maybe the hammies are still a little suss. Some of his fielding at times looks as though he is carrying an injury. Let it be known the Guvnor over inflated the stature of every Thunder player during the BBL with the exception of Sandhu.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
What, you want him to throw is fellow selectors under the bus? That's not how a team works.
spruce moose
Guest
Quite right. But when he answers questions from other commentators based on selections, he rarely ever qualifies his statements as his opinion as opposed to the selection panel. He needs to do this. Clearly and explicitly every time.
spruce moose
Guest
Actually they get paid like poo. Hence why half the panel are only part time. They need other jobs to supplement the income. Even when Hilditch was a 'selector' he was still running his law firm in Adelaide, as the chairman's selector salary wasn't paying the bills. God help his clients btw.
Andrew
Guest
I don't think so because what I have havered on the roar, many people don't think S Marsh isn't Australian T20, one-dayers and Test Batsman. It doesn't help when you get a hundred and they drop you, but, Khawaja is a better Batsman. No doubt in my small brain..haha.
Kurt S
Roar Pro
You raise some interesting points, Glenn. Having watched M.Waugh's career and seeing a small amount of his commentary on the BBL and more on StarSports, I find him refreshing. He speaks concisely and tends to offer reason behind his thoughts. He comes across as a man who isn't easily flustered and would not be likely to speak carelessly due to pressure from others. I could certainly see your concern being a potential problem with someone with less self control or of different character than Waugh if they were in dual roles. And unfortunately Waugh's dual role, and Border's before him (and maybe others come to mind) have set precedent. I couldn't imagine any of the current channel 9 team being as professional and compartmentalized in their commentary / selector roles as Waugh appears to be. Personally, Waugh's commentary has brought me back to cricket because Channel 9's offering was becoming so low brow and less insightful I was finding myself tuning out more than I was turning on the games - especially short forms. I would also like to see Waugh as chairman of selectors in time. If only he had a twin... Oh, that's right ;)
BurgyGreen
Guest
I honestly don't think this is an issue. Regardless of how well Khawaja is playing at the lower level, it's a consistent and entirely reasonable policy on the part of the selectors to continue with established and successful players. To drop any of the batsmen for the first match would have been unjust. Before this match they had run up 300+ scores with ease in five consecutive matches. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just because Mark Waugh rates his form doesn't mean he would advocate dropping a batsman who has done nothing wrong at international level.