Any young boy who dreams about his cricketing future has the vision of someday pulling on the famous baggy green.
Every Test player who has had the honour of wearing the baggy green now has a number to signify their place in Australian cricket history. This elite group is represented by a mere 450.
But the list of cricketers who never were lucky enough to fulfil their dream of donning the baggy green is just as long.
For this piece, I have focused on those still playing the game and or those who have retired within the last ten years. These players never got the chance to join the elite 450 before them.
1. Michael Klinger (Vic)
2. Michael Di Venuto (Tas)
3. Jamie Cox (Tas)
4. Jimmy Maher (Qld)
5. David Hussey (Vic)
6. Dan Christian (SA)
7. James Hopes (Qld)
8. Chris Hartley (Qld)
9. Damien Wright (Tas)
10. Ashley Noffke (Qld)
11. Dirk Nannes (Vic)
The opening partnership is crucial. These players are responsible for blunting the new ball attack while having the ability to set a foundation for the middle to lower order. That is why I have gone for Michael Klinger and Tassies Michael Di Venuto.
With a combined total of over 36,000 first-class runs in both Australia and England, these two would have walked into most international teams at some stage of their careers.
With an overall first-class record of 18,614 runs at 42.69 and possessing the capabilities of batting in the top four, Jamie Cox had the game to match it with the best.
An elegant left-hander, Jimmy Maher scored over 13,000 first class runs at a tick under 40. With all the shots in the book and a temperament to match, Maher would have been a useful man to walk in at no.3.
Over 15,000 runs at just over 50, the David Hussey can count himself desperately unlucky to not have been one of the 350 players to have played Test match cricket for his country.
A regular in the shorter formats, if given the opportunity, he would have no doubt forged himself an impressive career in the baggy green just like his younger brother.
In the spirit of the current debate around all-rounders, I have thrown two of the mainstays of domestic career in recent years. James Hopes and Dan Christian in their own rights have been very steady cricketers for their respective states. Both have played short format cricket for their country as well.
Averaging a tick over 30 with the bat and 26 with ball, Hopes would have been a useful man to come in at six or seven. With the ability to counter attack with the bat while keeping things with the ball, throw in captaincy experience, Hopes was more than a handy cricketer.
Dan Christian can hit the ball as hard and long as anyone who has played the game. A valuable extra seam option, Christian, who still plays for Victoria, is perhaps in career-best form with both bat and ball and is more than capable of competing at the highest level.
One of the toughest gigs to get is that of Australian wicketkeeper. Rarely do you see many changes in this position and rarely do these changes occur often, but if given the chance, Chris Hartley, a hard-hitting left-hander, would have been a solid performer in all conditions with both gloves and bat.
Unfortunately for him, he was stuck behind some useful glovemen in Adam Gilchrist and Brad Haddin.
My fast bowling unit is made of Damien Wright, Ashley Noffke and Dirk Nannes.
Both Wright and Noffke averaged around 28 with the ball and were useful with the willow as well. Both hit the pitch hard and can keep a McGrath line and length on a good day but both also had their issues with injury as well which didn’t help their ambitions of reaching the top in the longer format.
Admittedly neither would have scared an opposition line-up but both had more than enough ability that would’ve troubled many international batsmen.
Speaking of scaring the opposition, my final member of the XI is Victorian Dirk Nannes.
More recognised as a shorter format specialist, Nannes had the ability to generate some frightening speed with the ball while at times being a little unpredictable. Think Shawn Tait.
Either way, you knew you were in a contest if you had this man steaming in at you.
Fleeced
Guest
Any danger of giving back the money you owe former colleagues Shane, rather than writing articles?
JamesH
Roar Guru
Ah ok. Cox actually played with Lindisfarne from the late 90's (when I started) until 05/06. He was part of LCC's first TCA 1s premiership side in 00/01 (as were Shane Watson, Shane Jurgensen and Mark Atkinson).
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Ah, that explains Siddons absence, and why Hartley rather than Wade Seccombe.
Lancey5times
Roar Rookie
I reckon Brian Lara was the best player never to play for Australia....... ;)
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Agreed. There were a couple of tours where he went on them and seemed highly likely to be in the frame of selection, and each time in the lead up games bowled pretty poorly and got really collared by the batsmen in a way that would make it really hard to then get selected in a test right after that in similar conditions against better batsmen. It almost feels like CA were hoping they could get a quick win out of him, bring in a good leggie that will keep us going for the next few years, and then things like that made them decide he wasn't quite up to it, and given he's already in his mid-30's his card has probably been marked and they've moved onto looking at younger spinners.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
The article specified players who've never played test cricket I believe. White has played a couple of tests (mind you, picked as a spinner!) which would have ruled him out.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
No, Jamie Cox played for the University of Tasmania team, certainly the entire time I was there he was. Dean Hills also. So we had the two state openers from our club. There were various points while I was there that there were a number of other state players from the club, I think there was one time where there were literally 6 players in the state team from our club. But Cox and Hills were the only regular state players, the others that played state cricket only got a few games here and there.
qwetzen
Guest
David Hussey SS ave= 45.6 Mike= 41.1
Craig
Guest
Every time Watto was going to be dropped he would manage to hit 100 in a dead rubber or against a struggling nation to keep his position for the next series. Extremely lucky to play more than a handful of tests IMO.
Rats
Guest
Ok.. Sorry. May be "lucky" was the wrong word I used. He indeed deserved the initial selection. But he surely was "lucky" to hang around and play that many number of Test matches for Australia. For an Aussie to have played more than 50 Tests, he scored only 4 centuries and batting average around 35. Also not to forget, he was chosen ahead of the in-form Katich (so little lucky in that way). Nevertheless I have always admired Watson's never-say-die-attitude and he didn't deserve all of the criticism during his playing days. But he surely got his chances and hardly ignored by selectors. Homework gate incident was a rarity.
John
Guest
From what I've heard he was in Mickey Arthur's plans and not in Boof's. Once the national coach isn't interested in your services I'm pretty sure the States probably get a pretty strong directive as well. Holland was doing well before injury this season though. Butterworth' ommision was a complete oversight though I feel
Armchair Expert
Guest
White and Klinger should both be in the current Australian ODI and T20 teams.
Armchair Expert
Guest
Ahmed would of played test cricket if he didn't struggle in the lead up games while on tour.
Armchair Expert
Guest
If it wasn't for injury, Watson would of played another 10-15 tests.
Armchair Expert
Guest
I'd still rate Hodge a better batsman now than those four.
Bakkies
Guest
'The thing is the Hussey ave was inflated by county cricket' You could say the same for Mike and look how it worked out for him. Pretty sure he only averaged 42 for WA
qwetzen
Guest
"Before him Sam Trimble was a shield legend- think Lawry, Stackpole and later Redpath stopped him playing." Yairssss. That's what we were told; "You can't break-up Lawry & Stackpole for Trimble!" they sniffed. About 20 years later the most successful opening pair since Lawry & Stackpole were broken up to accommodate someone from NSW. And on Stackpole... Instead of being dropped for a less than mediocre start to his Test career, 14inn @ 25.3, as a m-o bat, he was promoted to open. Go figure.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Weren't those four selected after Hodge had passed his prime? Quiney was definitely lucky to be picked but Hussey wasn't seen as a top-3 bat.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Don't tell me you played for Lindisfarne too...?
boonboon
Roar Pro
The thing is the Hussey ave was inflated by county cricket