It’s a thing you often see in sport.
Teams that struggle often make wholesale changes. And people argue those changes are somehow responsible for the team’s problems, pointing to how the opposition succeeds by ‘sticking’ with the same players.
They believe continuity is what the team requires.
Sorry, but no. Teams have lots of changes because the players aren’t performing.
It’s not the lack of performance that comes from the changes. There are times when so many players in a team are failing to perform, and need to be replaced, that you just need to make a call and replace a bunch of them at once.
Trying to ‘manage transitions’ by not changing too many players at a time, simply lengthens the period of mediocrity.
Currently, the Australian Cricket team is in a crisis. There are such a large number of players failing that we need to bite the bullet and make those wholesale changes.With the series against South Africa now lost, the third Test in Adelaide is the time to overhaul this team.
Right now, there are really only five players who should consider themselves safe.
David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood are all safe.
Usman Khawaja isn’t as safe as those four and really needs to work out a technique in Asian conditions before Australia heads to India. But for now, he is safe enough.
Adam Voges built an amazing Test record by smashing poor teams in good batting conditions, but in tougher conditions, he hasn’t been anything close to a middle-order rock. His form has seriously dropped.
Coming into the team at his age always meant that if he endured even a short period of poor form, he would be gone. And that point has been reached.
Kurtis Patterson and Jake Lehmann should be among the front-runners to replace him.
Mitchell Marsh was rightly let go for this Test, and needs to go back to first-class cricket and score some serious runs before being considered again. He cannot be rushed back in anytime soon. He has potential, but so far that potential is a long way away.
Joe Burns still doesn’t look up to facing top-level Test attacks in anything but the best batting conditions. If Shaun Marsh is healthy, it’s hard to see Burns not making way again.
If Marsh isn’t fit for Adelaide, then Burns will probably be retained, as other options who’ve previously put their hands up, have started the Shield season in poor form, and this isn’t the time to pick someone who’s not showing really good form.
Though Shaun Marsh has a long history of being in and around the Aussie team despite less than spectacular performances, he has in recent years, consistently scored runs. If he is fit for Adelaide, he should return.
Despite a meagre return, it would be tough to drop Callum Ferguson after just one Test.
Peter Nevill was originally selected with the best first-class batting record among available keepers, averaging over 40, while also being neat with the gloves. At the time, he was the right selection based on his Sheffield Shield performances over the previous couple of seasons.
However, in Test cricket he hasn’t lived up to that. He has rarely looked close to a Test-level batsman, averaging just 22, and his work behind the stumps hasn’t been to a standard that can overlook his batting failures. There are a number of options to take this position, and it is a case of looking at who’s in the best form and picking them.
Nathan Lyon has had a good record in Australia, but even that seems to have fallen off in the last 12-18 months. Where previously he seemed to be improving each season, he now seems to have gone backwards.
His bowling lacks variety and deception – two things vital for a spin bowler. The overspin he puts on the ball seems to reduce the amount of natural variation he gets compared to bowlers who bowl with more side-spin.
He rarely looks threatening, even in conditions good for the spinners, and he’s not even keeping it tight – he’s actually the most expensive full-time bowler in this current series.
It is time to look for another option. Ashton Agar, Jon Holland and Steve O’Keefe have all had good starts to the Shield season. It’s time for someone else to have a chance. Agar and O’Keefe also have the added benefit of being able to bat a bit.
The third seamer is a tough one. There are so many quality quicks in Australia who are either injured or slowly returning from injury.
But you know what, Cricket Australia could do worse than to bite the bullet and give Pat Cummins his shot. Unfortunately, Joe Mennie rarely looked threatening despite getting his debut in favourable bowling conditions.
However, like Ferguson, it would be tough on him to drop him after one Test, and for both of them the next Test is at their home ground, which works in their favour.
Dutski
Roar Guru
Thanks Chris. The question that has been nagging me is when do we see players dropped on performance? Apart from Khawaja and Burns in SL, and perhaps M Marsh in the last test, the only changes have been injury replacements, retiree replacements or 'rotations'. The selectors have been reluctant to drop on form for a long time, but now seem to be actually considering it.
Vishnu
Guest
Cricket Australia needs a revamp of the structure. We have to look at our foes and learn from them. See what England have done. Spotted a young talent and put him in India when he is in good Nick. The boy Hameed will be a nemesis for us too in the next Ashes. He s solid and has a good temperament. Adil Rashid too has matured a lot and bowling well. Meanwhile we Aussies are deteriorating rapid. First we need to have different teams for all formats. First wid tests Warner is a maverick and he wil be a x factor whichever format he plays. U can't curb him . He wil always be a hit n miss but consistency will be the key. He needs a Rogers or Langer like complementary player. The only player I can see doin it is Bancroft. He has temperament and ability to bat long I doubt Ussie at 3. He was n good nick a couple of years back. He might be free flowing and good on placid road tracks. But not on seaming or swing wickets. He was dropped a lot and hence his scores in this series don't matter. I think Kurtis Patterson should be 3 . He looks like he too has the desire to bat long. Steve Smith should bat at 4 At 5 Ferguson can be given a chance till India .Then decide whether he is good or not. Six I would go for Ashton Agar . He can bat and he can bowl. He would be a Indian version of Jadeja. Seven Handscomb . He is in good Nick and once he gets his keeping gloves back he wil do well. He can even be sent to India in advance and made to watch MS Dhobi videos. Dhoni is unconventional in keeping but he is too too successful. Starc and Hazelwood walk in. Sayers needs to be picked coz his probing line n length wil get him wickets. I might sound stupid but I wil pick Zampa or even Boyce instead of Lyon as they can attack the stumps more. Lyon is not helped by poor batting but as a attacking spinner even on turnin pitches he s a flop. In India Sayers wil come out and O Keefe in and a three spin attack wil be only our way out . And for the ODI I would like to see Arjun Nair picked . He is in gud form and he would be a asset against tbe Kiwis.
Vishnu
Guest
Cricket Australia needs a revamp of the structure. We have to look at our foes and learn from them. See what England have done. Spotted a young talent and put him in India when he is in good Nick. The boy Hameed will be a nemesis for us too in the next Ashes. He s solid and has a good temperament. Adil Rashid too has matured a lot and bowling well. Meanwhile we Aussies are deteriorating rapid. First we need to have different teams for all formats. First wid tests Warner is a maverick and he wil be a x factor whichever format he plays. U can't curb him . He wil always be a hit n miss but consistency will be the key. He needs a Rogers or Langer like complementary player. The only player I can see doin it is Bancroft. He has temperament and ability to bat long I doubt Ussie at 3. He was n good nick a couple of years back. He might be free flowing and good on placid road tracks. But not on seaming or swing wickets. He was dropped a lot and hence his scores in this series don't matter. I think Kurtis Patterson should be 3 . He looks like he too has the desire to bat long. Steve Smith should bat at 4 At 5 Ferguson can be given a chance till India .Then decide whether he is good or not. Six I would go for Ashton Agar . He can bat and he can bowl. He would be a Indian version of Jadeja. Seven Handscomb . He is in good Nick and once he gets his keeping gloves back he wil do well. He can even be sent to India in advance and made to watch MS Dhobi videos. Dhoni is unconventional in keeping but he is too too successful. Starc and Hazelwood walk in. Sayers needs to be picked coz his probing line n length wil get him wickets. I might sound stupid but I wil pick Zampa or even Boyce instead of Lyon as they can attack the stumps more. Lyon is not helped by poor batting but as a attacking spinner even on turnin pitches he s a flop. In India Sayers wil come out and O Keefe in and a three spin attack wil be only our way out . And for the ODI I would like to see Arjun Nair picked . He is in gud form and he would be a asset against tbe Kiwis
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
While I agree with most of your thoughts on the players, it is hard to make wholesale changes for there are few demasnding a spot through merit. Meaning, any you select are going to be more on hope or speculation which never works well when walking into a situation like this. The only two stand outs are Sayers and patterson, then who? Lyon is an interesting one, always saw him as the perfect auxilliary that excels when the team facilitates him by their position of power. When it falls on him to be the man he is always found out as seen in this series and damningly in SL Tough times for the Aussies :(
Amrit
Roar Guru
So you are like Kevin Pietersen, calling for at least six to seven changes; Believe me it would keep changing even after Indian tour is finished Australia's hurry to get victories over building a team for longer periods would ultimately turn the results even more against them Young players with lots of expectations throw all together and then they perish for the next two years It is perhaps my umpteenth comment where I have said Australia should pick and stick to a team, you can even read my piece, the link is below http://www.theroar.com.au/2016/11/11/australia-must-pick-stick-team/