News yesterday that Shaun Marsh is set to be unavailable for the second Test against Pakistan may have offered embattled batsman Nic Maddinson a lifeline.
The 24-year-old has had a horrific start to his Test career, making just five runs in his first three knocks. Most pundits and fans agree Maddinson has looked out of his depth, in stark contrast to fellow batting rookies Peter Handscomb and Matt Renshaw, who have flourished.
Now the question about what should be done with Maddinson rests on the fitness of Marsh. Reports yesterday suggested Marsh had been all but ruled out of the Boxing Day Test because of the broken finger he suffered last month.
X-ray tests in the coming days will give a more accurate timeframe on Marsh’s return to cricket.
If those results suggest the West Australian batsman should be ready for the third Test against Pakistan, in just over two weeks’ time, then there would be little point in dropping Maddinson.
In such a scenario Marsh would surely come straight back into the side at Maddinson’s expense.
What value, then, would there be in dumping Maddinson for Boxing Day and including a new batsman for just one Test, before they made way for Marsh?
Marsh’s recent record deserves to make him an automatic inclusion, as does his skill in Asian conditions, with the four-Test tour of India looming large. The equation changes, however, if the selectors decide it is too risky to rush Marsh back into the side at all against Pakistan.
This would mean there are two Tests available for a number six batsman before Marsh returns. It could then be worth sending Maddinson back to domestic cricket and offering a Test opportunity to the likes of young batsmen Kurtis Patterson, Travis Head and Jake Lehmann, or even batting all-rounder Hilton Cartwright.
At this stage, all four of those cricketers look to be better Test prospects than Maddinson. The New South Welshman has undoubted gifts. It remains to be seen, though, whether he can harness them. His selection was truly strange given Australia were seeking to add steel to their batting line-up after a raft of collapses this year.
With his impatience and questionable shot selection, Maddinson did not fit the bill. I am far from writing him off as a Test player. Maddinson is talented enough to play Tests. He just needs to tighten his game up. Test cricket is not kind to players fond of aimless wafts outside off stump.
And cricket supporters are not kind to players they feel were picked without justification.
Maddinson was the prototypical bolt-from-the-blue selection. After Australia’s capitulation against the Proteas at Hobart, not once did I see or hear his name being mentioned among the raft of cricketers suggested as inclusions for the third Test.
Maddinson’s ascension to the Test team likely shocked even himself. His unexpected selection meant he was always going to face greater media and public scrutiny and be given less time to settle. Right now he is the cricketing version of a dead man walking.
It’s up to the selectors to decide whether they let him traipse on, with the Reaper looking over his shoulder, or whether they offer a chance to another young cricketer on Boxing Day.
Bob Sims
Guest
Good call. What a shame they opted for Cartwright instead. A definite prospect, but way too early or him. Whatever happened to having to earn the Baggy Green?
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Please cite Head's shield form, including his 130 and 52 against Vic as the reason for his test claim, rather than white ball performances. Despite our roads last test summer, the pitch conditions are usually quite different and we have already wasted too many years selecting players in our test side because they score some one day runs. White ball form should never be the measure used for test selection. It can, most certainly, be used to identify players in form and then their domestic four day performances need to be the criteria used for test selection, with greater focus on recent red ball runs. Heads current shield season 362 runs @ 60.33 should have him at the very top of the selectors lists. He should have been ahead of Maddinson who averages 39.16 this shield season.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
In a nutshell, no! Maddinson's shouldn't have been selected in the first place. The 'added support for weary pace bowlers' after the Gabba test is a perfect cover for dropping his sorry a*se from the side, without him thinking his 5 runs and average of 1.67 has anything to do with it.
dan ced
Guest
Being a Redbacks guy, I've been keeping an eye on Alex Carey. He has scored handy lower order runs, even opened a few matches of Matador with success.. and has taken some super catches in shield, 28 infact. Not the type to selfishly throw away his wicket with pure small man syndrome arrogance like Wade. I think Hartley is the best option, a level head amongst the youngsters, with no Voges.. some wisdom would certainly help in times of struggle. Carey could be a smoky for the shorter forms if Wade gets dropped back to grade cricket where he belongs (and I shouted that out to him in Adelaide from the stands).
dan ced
Guest
"There's been no standout keeper with the bat". Hartley has 2 50's @ 51 so far this season - 21 dismissals. Carey has 3 50's @ 33 so far this season - 28 dismissals. Doran and Whiteman are below 30 so let's scratch them for the moment on pure runs
dan ced
Guest
Hartley, Whiteman, or Alex Carey are the only options. Nevill was dropped, we need to try someone new, not a hasbeen like Wade. Hartley deserves it, Whiteman should've been in ahead of Wade anyway.. and Carey is in ripping form with the gloves and scoring runs even though he's close enough to still being a rookie.
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
I agree about Lynn, but hearing him on the radio the other day I suspect he might end up being a T20 only player. He is going to play Shield in the second half of the year and I hope he sticks with it. He's not just a slogger, he is a good fc batsmen
Bob Sims
Guest
Although from all reports it seems unlikely, I agree that Shaun Marsh should come in for Nic Maddinson if fit. If so, Smith needs to bite the bullet and bowl more, to give his four main bowlers a breather. If Marsh is still unfit, Maddinson should still go. He hasn't made the most of his chances, whereas Handscomb and Renshaw have. Travis Head should be the one chosen. He has excellent white ball form, with both bat and ball, and looks the most likely to be the next to make a successful transition. Maddinson's time will come again.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Wade is in the side for his mouth, not his hands
Casper
Guest
We all seem to be going into meltdown , including me, about Maddinson being retained after his first 2 tests but surely the elephant in the room is how bad the backstop with gloves behind the stumps has been since his recall. At least Maddinson has an excuse as a rookie, but not Wade. He wouldi have to be the worst keeper to spin that I can recall yet doesn't get a mention in the media. Healy was sent to the subcontinent in his first assignment and learned how hard keeping was in those conditions which made him work much harder, so why not pick a young rookie and go with him long term if Wade is the alternative. Travis Head should come in for Maddinson and send someone like Zampa (Boyce or Swepson) for experience.
andrew
Guest
maddinson is obv not serious about getting better in the long form of the game judging by his use of winter time in 2016. he played IPL and then went to carribean to play in their 20/20 league. what about going to england and testing his technique on seaming wickets in country cricket. i would think if you want to send a message to the selector you are more than just a big-bash player, youd spend your winter this way. maddison was not even picked in the aust a matches v sth africa over winter in NT/QLD, so was a long way back in the queue at that stage. he got a game in the 2nd aust a match v india and made 80 odd in sept. his form in first class matches this summer sees him have a batting avg of 26. it was a truly awful selection on so many fronts. if it wasnt so serious, it would be laughable. now we are left with the situation whereby the selectors who backed him wont want to drop him, even if they know its the right thing to do, for the sake of their own ego's as selectors.
Casper
Guest
Travis Head, you could say it's a no-brainer.
BurgyGreen
Guest
Yes please (except for the Travis Head bit - poor man's Maxwell)
Bugs
Guest
OK, here is some statistical work. 2016 records only - first class comparison for batting ONLY (as I believe that Hartley's superior keeping is not in question) Wade - 6 matches, 264 run @ 29.33. Hartley - 10 matches, 519 runs @ 47.18. I think that is fairly stark
matth
Guest
And if Maxwell has had his cards marked, the same could be said of Travis Head - also bowls offies.
matth
Guest
The problem for Hartley is because he has been unjustly ignored all these years, I don;t even know if he has ever played outside Australia and England. Having said that I believe he is worth the punt, but the other left field is Tim Paine. I know he is not even getting a game for Tassie right now, but he has played test matches, and I think has played in India, where he scored well and I don't remember any massive keeping issues.
Bugs
Guest
Pls, don't mention Handscombe as a keeper. The year he kept for Vic his batting avg was in the 20's. Its a big part of the reason his FC avg is high 30's, and not low 40's. But other than that - YES! Let's lose Wade!
matth
Guest
I think after the amount of overs put into Starc and Hazlewood this test, the selectors will have to consider a fifth bowler, unless they want an injury crisis.
Bugs
Guest
Wade has a serious man-crush on himself IMO. His keeping is still ordinary, and his test batting is still ordinary. Terrible selection. They say they got him for runs and leadership...ummm...anyone think of Chris Hartley? He only scores runs when his team needs it, never when the going is easy. And with a FC avg of 35, is only marginally less the batsman than Wade. And he has this uncanny ability to catch the ball...
matth
Guest
Well they could pick Joe Burns or Callum Ferguson, they would have no problem dropping either of them after one test.