Young Australian batsmen being ignored by Test selectors

I think some of the players need to get a second chance, especially the two debutants from Hobart, Mennie and Ferguson. I understand that the team needs to opt young players for debut but I still believe that these two could sprout any minute and should've got a second chance. My XI: • Warner • Bancroft (give him a crack) • Khawaja • Smith • Handscomb • Ferguson (one more chance as he only played ONE test) • Nevill (borderline) • Starc • Lyon (borderline) • Mennie (Same deal as Ferguson) • Hazlewood Other batsman like Renshaw, Patterson, Maddison etc. I wouldn't exploit them yet as this team still has some talent that is uncovered and needs to be revealed.

Rather remarkable Don seeing that O'Keefe is still only 31. Seems John E must have come from the future

Why not Handscomb? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Ian Healy pretty much understudy to Peter Anderson at Queensland when he was selected for his first Test?

The selectors showed very clearly in Sri Lanka that Khawaja is not a definite selection in the Australian team. He is obviously only a couple of poor innings away from being dumped... again. He should be though. His 97 in Perth and 64 in Hobart show there is substance there but number threes will struggle for consistent runs if they walk out in the first over every innings. The selection of older players is short sighted unless, as in the case of Chris Rogers, they are averaging over 50 and 10 - 15 runs more than the younger options. The selectors have been a bit lucky with Voges as two series against the inept West Indies and a home series on roads against New Zealand, lead him to better returns than anyone could have expected. It seems his bubble has burst and it will be interesting to see how long selectors persist with him. I must admit I was surprised to see Ferguson picked in the squad given there are younger players with similar recent form. Playing regularly at the Adelaide oval hints that Ferguson's runs may be, to some degree, a false economy. Perhaps with the likes of Callum and Shaun Marsh, there first class stats don't weigh heavier than some of the younger batsmen you mention. Surely, if that's the case, leaning toward the longevity of the younger option would make more sense. It seems our more experienced domestic players are no better batting in tricky conditions than younger players anyway. Voges and his English condition experience was seen as a strength in the 2015 Ashes, but 201 runs in five tests at under 29, suggest his experience counted for little. Rogers, in the same series, averaged 60. I expect that's the difference between an a county average of 55 and 40.

Agree that Lyon has proven more than enough times that he isn't good enough to be a number one test spinner and also that Starc and Hazlewood have been good, except when pressured by batting collapses to perhaps try too hard to make something happen. The danger I see is that selectors will use the below par performances of Siddle and Mennie as reason to strengthen our attack, not with Cummins or Pattinson, but with Mitch Marsh.

Ludes got 160odd against Philander/Abbott/Morkel/Maharaj at Glenelg for that 2nd XI :) I think he'd do great in another state to be honest.. just looking at the patient 50's he got in BBL last year even when he wasn't seeing them well. Pity he fell out of favour on batting form, because from what I've seen his keeping has always been excellent, maybe behind Hartley, but above Nevill for sure. His replacement in the Redbacks team is looking great early on too, scoring some important runs as well as taking a few screamers in the shield season so far!

Yes! It seems that Shaun Marsh has aged 3 years reading it, while his Test and FC average has gone down by 2 runs. What an epic!!! SOS was only 33 when John started typing.

Holy paragraph

Since 2013-2014, you say? You mean since Cricket Australia issued the edict for state cricket authorities to have Shield pitches very light on for grass at the start of four day games. There was even the threat of fines being issued is too many wickets fell on day one. Now, with the safety of grassless Shield pitches our domestic batsmen makes some runs, and basically play all their cricket on roads, ingraining the faults of poor footwork and playing with the hands way out in front of their head. The young players in contention for test spots rarely average 40, which is ground level for test success. Shane Watson averaged 45 for much of his first class career and was consistently bagged for not making enough runs. Yet, when he moves on, Mitch Marsh gets a test spot in the top six with a FC average of a mere 28. First class averages are, or at least they should be, the measure for identifying test prospects and more recent seasons should be highlighted, but so should where they play the bulk of their cricket. On the Adelaide oval pitch, for the past three years with stuff all grass allowed on it (or anywhere else), 50 should be a given. The reality that Shaun Marsh is still, at age 36, trying to cement his test spot with a 38 average from 16 inconsistent years of first class cricket, speaks loud and clear that we have issues with producing quality batsmen. Perhaps it is time for selectors to acknowledge not only that test batting spots must be earned with 40+ averages but that application when the pressures on and the ability to fight in tough conditions (ala Steve Smith in the first dig) is even more desired. You list plenty of young batsmen with promise, however most, like Mitch Marsh, don't warrant selection because they don't score enough runs. Not on the modern day days Shield batsmen are regularly presented with. What does makes sense is to invest in youth if no elder player has far superior form on the board. I would also suggest that wasting the number six batting spot on an all-rounder robs a young batsmen of the perfect position in a batting line-up to settle into a test career. It worked for Greg Chappell, Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting and should again be considered. Batting all-rounders bat at six because they score the runs a test number six needs to, not for any other reason, unless we intentionally want to unbalance and weaken our batting order. Jake Lehmann and Kurtis Patterson are probably two worth closer inspection, with Handscomb not far away and I am a fan of Cameron Bancroft, as much for his patience and discipline as just his numbers. If senior players, like Rogers, Voges or indeed S Marsh are selected, they should be on a shorter leash should their performances ebb.

Conveniently forgotten because it's incorrect. He's been solid, don't know what games you've been watching.

It seems to me that there are problems with young people breaking through in all various professions in this country, not just cricket, not just in other sports, but also in the media. I think Australia has a culture problem, and this must change, lest we will have long-term problems going forward.

Well The Squids(Aussie Test Team) are on the Skids,off with their baggy Greens and on with their baggy Blues. Beaten by a very good Team South Africa. Dont worry about who played good and who played bad,They were and are a good team and played to the Max. Fundementals such as Forward defence ,Backward defence missing from the Squids.Cripes. Sava

The selectors need to read nothing more than the last paragraph...only five batsmen were under 28: Hughes, Warner, Smith, Burns and Khawaja...3 of those 5 are definite selections in the Australian team right now (Smith, Khawaja & Warner). One is hanging on to a spot and perhaps needs a fair run (Burns) and the other would likely be a strong chance to be in the team right now had a tragedy not occurred...picked young, proved to be the right choices...

If you have watched him, you wouldn't say that. You would battle to be able to cite any errors he has made with the gloves. He has been very polished. He was fine in Sri Lanka. Don't confuse batting with wicket keeping. They are two different skills. I say that because your comments would indicate that you didn't know that.

I know we are discussing the performances of our batsmen and that I have been pushing the O'Keefe barrow for years, but without Starc and Hazlewood, our bowling in tests has been useless against South Africa. We need someone like Cummins in there who takes wickets and intimidates. We also need O'Keefe now to replace Lyon who so far has two wickets for 241 runs in this series at a wicket per 120 runs, after taking wickets at 32 runs a piece in Sri Lanka. Starc and Hazlewood are doing their job but they cant do it alone.

Lets be honest. No batsmen in australia would have performed much better or saved us from defeat against the bowling South Africa produced in this test series. Credit where its due. Philander and Rabada have been world class. Abbot came in and did the same. Young batsman / experienced batsman.. What does it matter. We were outplayed. Move on

I feel uncomfortable after reading that.

Now that I've realised I am a true bowler short, Swap out Christian for Sayers

Now I've thought about it, Swap Christian out for either Faulkner or the Duke