The Australian cricket selectors have announced a major shock in naming the squad for the first two Tests against South Africa, with Joe Mennie included as one of five bowlers.
Mennie was named alongside fellow quicks Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle, as well as spinner Nathan Lyon, with one of Mennie and Siddle expected to claim the third seamer’s spot when the Test starts next Thursday.
“Joe bowls a great length at a lively pace and his form in first-class cricket has been terrific in the last 12 months,” national selector Rod Marsh said.
“He also impressed us during the recent Australia A Series in Queensland.
“He was the highest wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield last season and is very handy with the bat.”
The Redbacks paceman beat out competition from Tasmanian quick Jackson Bird for the final fast bowler’s position. Bird had been touted as the man most likely to battle it out with Siddle for the final place in the Australian XI, and his last appearance for the national team had seen him decimate New Zealand with seven wickets in the match.
However, in a bizarre admission, Marsh said Bird’s lesser talent with the bat was what cost him a spot in the side.
“[It was] very close,” Marsh said. “I talked to Jackson again this morning and I said to Jackson the thing that probably cost him a place was his batting.
“We’ve got to get runs at the bottom of the order as well, particularly against a very good [South African] attack.”
In the other big selection news, Shaun Marsh was selected as David Warner’s opening partner ahead of Joe Burns, despite Burns making an impressive hundred against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield. Usman Khawaja has also been selected in the side and will bat at number three.
“Both Shaun and Joe played very well in the Sheffield Shield round but Shaun is coming off back-to-back hundreds in Test matches and has performed very well in Perth and Hobart so we have opted to go with him,” Rod Marsh said.
Shaun’s brother, Mitchell, has retained his place in the squad, however Rod Marsh admitted the all-rounder is under pressure to keep his place in the side.
“Yes [he’s under pressure],” Marsh said. “He needs to bowl well and bat well, Mitch, he really does. Unfortunately, in the Shield game, he did neither.”
“He’s hitting the ball as well as anyone; when he’s played for Australia he’s hit the ball beautifully but he just hasn’t got a big score.
“He needs to get a Test hundred, Mitch, I reckon.”
Mennie was mightily impressive during the 2015-16 Sheffield Shield season, picking up a league-high 51 wickets at an average of 21 for South Australia.
His form was rewarded during the recent ill-fated ODI tour of South Africa, a series the NSW-born pace bowler would likely rather forget. Mennie recorded the worst figures for an Australian bowler on debut when he was carted around the Wanderers ground by Rilee Rossouw, Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy, finishing with 0-82 from his ten overs.
However, as a bowler who relies on an extra bounce and accurate line and length rather that out-and-out pace and variation, Mennie seems better suited to the longest format of the game.
He boasts a current first-class record of 155 wickets at an average of 26.68 from 41 matches.
Australian squad for first two Tests vs South Africa
David Warner (vice-captain)
Shaun Marsh
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith (captain)
Adam Voges
Mitchell Marsh
Peter Nevill
Mitchell Starc
Peter Siddle
Josh Hazlewood
Nathan Lyon
Joe Mennie
Rellum
Roar Guru
Maxwell tried to force a last minute move to NSW. Vic would not let him as he chose the wrong time as per the rules and seem to have dropped him as punishment. CA have now ordered Vic to play him, which I think in wrong on to many levels.
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
Have you watched Moises in any international games he's been picked for in the past couple of years? Anonymous barely begins to describe it. He was stitched up in Sri Lanka having stuff all games behind him but still you'd have expected double figures from him at least.
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
It is while Victoria won't let Maxwell play Shield cricket. I'd love to know what's going on there.
Don Freo
Guest
He has already demonstrated that with the ball. Smith is just sometimes forgetful of who he has at his disposal in the team. Marsh has rarely disappointed with the ball.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
That shoud have been top six bats or top four bowlers. I left thast off as I was thinking in the Australian context of year after year weakening an already suspect top six. I think he's clearly in the top four bowlers and would be picked on that basis..
Bring Back...?
Guest
Both Botham and Flintoff were good enough to open the bowling when their captains called on them to do so and they were match winners. I didn't suggest Mitch as a test batsman....said I'd love to see him as a bowling all rounder. In other words, good enough to be picked on bowling alone but handy with the bat. Trust me, my expectations are not high.
Rob JM
Guest
England play with two alrounders because of Ali. Between the two of them it balances out and gives them batting depth. It would be like dropping Lyon for Maxwell. A bowling attack of Maxwell, M Marsh, Starc, Cummis/Pattinson and Hazlewood is not so crazy.
Rob JM
Guest
Some competent middle order batsmen to follow would also be handy!
Rob JM
Guest
S Marsh did get a big hundred in South Africa a few years ago.
Don Freo
Guest
I think Botham and Flintoff's performances with the bat are over rated by the nostalgia of legend. History tells a more realistic story. Neither would have held a place on batting alone. Botham played some memorable innings occasionally but not consistently. Mitch will too but he never needs to be able to warrant his place in one or both disciplines. That's what an all rounder is...a jack of both trades, a master of neither. The higher expectation is held only by some of us on threads like this. I am not one of them. Botham only averaged 33 in his Test career with 14 centuries in 15 years as a test cricketer. Flintoff averaged 31 with the bat. Hardly specialist batting figures. I'd back Marsh to surpass them both by the end of his career.
Bring Back...?
Guest
No bad mouthing from me. My comments are more about Aussie cricket these days - I keep hearing after every Ashes we need to work on combatting swing bowling, after every sub continent tour we have to work out how to play spin....does any of this work ever happen? Maybe "we" just have memories and concentration spans of goldfish! Mitch needs to be able to make the team on one discipline in his own right - at the moment he doesn't. I think a bowling all rounder would be huge asset. Think Botham, Flintoff etc. he could lock himself into the team for 10 years if he improved his bowling. I thought Watson was a better bowler than batsman...if he'd worked on it and was injury free, could have been anything. Anyway, not getting my hopes up - in this day and age it's all about entertaining as that's where the money is....
Don Freo
Guest
Henriques got 11 and 28, Burns failed at 30 when his team needed a score from him and Bancroft struggled while Marsh scored 77 and 110 when the rest of the team was crumbling. Jj, don't you think your prejudice against Shaun Marsh is irrational?
Don Freo
Guest
Oh dear!!! Still?
Don Freo
Guest
They are different bowlers. Bird is limited to effectiveness only when the ball is swinging. After that, he comes back to the field. Mennie is a fitter, straighter, faster and bouncier version of Siddle. Mennie obviates the need for an all rounder because you can get 25 overs per day from him. The thing is, Siddle or Mennie or Bird are only there until Cummins or Behrendorff prove sustained fitness.
Don Freo
Guest
Bird's last good Shield season was 4 years ago. Joe's Mennie's career was just starting then. Care to guess why Mennie's Test stats don't match Bird's? Consider this. No one has ever scored a run off Joe Mennie's bowling in Test history. Never...ever!! That's impressive.
BurgyGreen
Guest
I've thought about this a bit more, and no, I don't think Marsh's reasons were fair. It's the selectors' job to separate the bowling ability of candidates. Bird and Mennie are very different bowlers and they should be able to split them. If they think Mennie is the better bowler, then they should say so. I've got no problem with that.
Don Freo
Guest
Even I, one of Mitch's great fans, think he would benefit from an extended run in Shield. The bad mouthing of Mitch, however, is not warranted. Although he did not score big in Sri Lanka, he was our second highest scorer in almost every innings. Not bad for the team all rounder when the top order constantly folded.
Yangbong
Guest
Also. Bird was in the squad for Sri Lanka. Didn't play because they opted for an extra spinner.
Don Freo
Guest
"Another"? When did Shaun Marsh last have a mediocre summer?
Yangbong
Guest
Show me where Mennie's Test numbers are better. Bird performed ok in New Zealand I thinks that is the point. I don't think Mennie's first class record is clearly superior to Bird. If Mennie had better "velocity" I would buy the argument. Both will be first change bowlers using accuracy and movement off the pitch to get wickets, Bird holds the advantage of bounce off a good length in my opinion. Bird also holds the advantage of proven test performer. I don't think Mennie will start in the first test but I wish him well if he does and he probably will do well.