G’day Trevor, How the devil are you? It’s been ages.
Quite the Summer you’ve had, one moment minding your sports goods shop and the next elevated to a senior selection position for the National Cricket Team!
Good thing you remembered the password to the photocopier, or Cricket Australia may have had to follow a more rigorous or even (dare I say it) professional recruitment process.
Not that you don’t have experience, your time as selector certainly did coincide with the Test and ODI teams’ greatest periods, but then it also did coincide with a time where Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Steve and Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting and co were all available.
In fact, as I seem to remember it, you lost the same job you were just handed back almost as soon as these players retired. It’s almost like you hadn’t thought of succession planning through that period.
Photocopier passwords eh? Gotta love ‘em.
Anyway, I’m writing to you for two main reasons and they both relate to your comments about Cameron White.
Now I know you must regret them already, after all, you could have slagged off The Bear all you liked in your last job while selling little Timmy a miniature Kaboom™ bat, but it’s just not the done thing for a National Selector.
The first reason, Trev, is that its all about leadership and respect.
I know it’s not very popular at the moment for leaders to respect others, but that’s what a good leader does. Give respect to get it in return.
When you criticise a national cricketer, it’s something the paying public (who buy their discount kookaburras off you, and pay your selectors wage) doesn’t appreciate.
The Bear is a committed club, state and (when picked) national cricketer. His last two domestic seasons have been excellent and, despite almost no chance of being picked, he continues to put in match-winning performances and keep trying.
He doesn’t have to, he could look at another field of employment or just knock around in T20 competitions globally. But he doesn’t, he is committed to Australian cricket.
These are the actions of someone who cares, someone who is dedicated to the sport that they love.
If you criticise the Bear, you are criticising all of us that love and care about the game.
The second reason, Hohnsy, is that if you are going to start slagging people off, you are going to get it in return and you may not like that.
For a bit of perspective, let’s remember that your own Test career of seven matches brought 136 runs (at 22) and 17 wickets (at 34). Your first class record included 5,210 runs (at 27) and 288 wickets (at 37).
Now, this is all very adequate, until you compare them with The Bear.
The Bear was made captain of his State at 21, averages 29 with the bat from the four Tests he has played, has five Test wickets at 68 which is fair for part-time spinners in India and one of his wickets was a certain SR Tendulkar.
On top of that, he has over 9,000 first class runs at 40 and 195 wickets at 40 again.
That may not be what you called “earth shattering”, but its bloody impressive and a damn site better than yours.
While we are picking up the criticism stick, let’s have a look at your efforts as selector since your return.
First, you dropped Peter Nevill for Cam Wade, which has reminded us why Nevill was picked in the first place. Wade was picked for his batting but had a top score of 29 against Pakistan.
Further, Wade struggles to catch balls thrown back from the deep, let alone those that beat the bat. It’s almost like he is trying to protect his gloves because they are too expensive.
I dunno, what do kids use keeping gloves for these days Trev?
Nic Maddison was another interesting pick, and by interesting I mean appalling. His top score from his last ten appearances (including BBL games) is 26. Its like you’ve wrecked the kid.
We can move onto the last ODI series and the current one.
Who is this Sam Heazlett kid? Sure, he might have potential, but maybe reward some local middle-order batsmen instead? You know, like someone that won Domestic Player of the Year?
There’s an old story about glass houses Trev, and it doesn’t involve the old basketball stadium in Melbourne. Look it up.
In summary Trev, don’t poke the Bear.
Ian Smout
Guest
Trevor Hohns. Now there’s a name I remember. I’m not a cricketer but I do follow the game I suppose. Story. I was selling my little BMW, So as I was sitting In the car with a prospective buyer at the wheel, I vaguely recognised his name when he proudly announced it. What followed was an excruciating 15 minutes. Being stuck in a car with somebody I can truely describe without fear of contradiction as an arrogant dickhead. He bought my car, but he was very nearly left by the kerbside a couple of times. I couldn’t be a car salesman. The sport of Cricket can do without clowns like him.
Jamie Elkins
Roar Rookie
Damn those hypocritical, anonymous keyboard warriors
TheRev
Roar Pro
The state of cricket (and more generally, sports) administration is a subject so large that you'd need more than a trashy article to cover it.
TheRev
Roar Pro
Thanks PD
Republican
Guest
What I do know is that Australian sport devolves more mediocre with the passing of time and certainly compared with NZ. In respect of Cricket, their status and population pales in comparison with ours. No excuses but also no answers.
Republican
Guest
What I do know is that Australian sport devolves more mediocre with the passing of time and certainly compared with NZ, who's Cricket status and population pales in comparison with ours. No excuses but also no answers.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
Great article
Pumping Dougie
Guest
Hohns didn't explain why other players with poor domestic and international records, e.g. Wade, get picked, while reigning Domestic Player of the Year gets overlooked. Whites ODI international record is solid too, yet Hohns denigrated it. Hohns didn't explain why he's justified in picking people with poor recent domestic records and zero international record, such as Maddison ahead of players who are actually demonstrating something at domestic level. So he's given a Trump-like BS response to the very fair question posed by a highly respected, experienced domestic player who has an unblemished public track-record for being a sensible, decent person. The comparison between Boof and Hohns's unintelligent, disrespectful, churlish responses was highly appropriate.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
In the past selectors always used domestic form as the main criteria for test selection, haven't they? I mean, how else could Wally Edwards have been picked for 4 tests in 1974 with his FC average of 30? No. As you state, its been happening for a long time. Mind you, I never heard Sam Trimble feel need to make a statement to the 70's media. Perhaps a reality in this day, and one both Cam and Trevor know, is that Its about being heard more than its about being right. I like your point about the lack of recent form for selectors to use. That adds another complexity to the selection process and possibly encourages the "potential over performance" mindset, rightly or wrongly. Selections will always make some happy and others upset. Transparency and consistency is all we can hope for. So far, hope has not been shattered.
vrx
Guest
It is mostly agreed that Hohns was wrong to play the man, but do we really think it is in Australia's interest to be selecting veteran players like White? These pieces just read like a criticism of Hohns for playing the man by... well, playing the man.
Train Without A Terminus
Guest
I'd be a bit ticked off in White's position too but 1) it's the selectors job to plan ahead. Will White be around for the next World Cup?; 2) When has complaining about the selection of other players ahead of you actually worked? BTW my memory may be wonky but wasn't Hohn's the selector who gave Gilly his first test at the Gabba and dropping Heals to do so? A decision everyone hated until Gilchrist's first innings with the bat.
qwetzen
Guest
"...but was he [White] incorrect?" Yes. And No. He's absolutely correct in saying that selections should be heavily based on form in the appropriate domestic comp, but he's wrong (sort of) by saying that the current selectors are using too much "hunch" in their choices. The only "hunch" selection I've seen this season would be Maddinson. And then there's the 800kg "premium product" in the room. Are the selectors supposed to take form that's 6-12 weeks old because of the BBL? Unless you take the soft option and pick who you're told too, it's a *very* tough job being a selector. Like players, the ultimate judgement is the bottom line, so you'd have to say that Chairman Trev is well in the black at the moment. Aside: I'm also more than a tad surprised that a cricketer of Whites' experience and intelligence is specifying that selectors ignoring domestic form is a recent thing. It's been a feature of Australian selections since Beelzebub created cricket administrators.
qwetzen
Guest
Yes we are anonymous, but I don't see anyone else pretentiously penning "open letters" to Prime Minister Trumble or such. btw... Is PM Trumble any relation to the former Oz spinner Hugh Trumble?
Don Freo
Guest
When Hohns becomes personal by suggesting a poor record denies White the right to speak...then Hohns' record becomes relevant. We can all see that. You have another agenda, James. What is it?
John Spehr
Guest
I agree with The Rev: I was driving when I heard the first report of Hohn's retort (not reply). Struck me as someone trying to turn his temporary appointment into another stint as National Selector. It's the 'plucks' like Warnie that cause the problem: The playing strata of Aust cricket are Club, State, National. If Cricket Australia could start to structure the cricket season a little more intelligently, selectors would have a better chance of picking players on FORM. The almost sudden emergence of Big Bash has definitely thrown a spanner in the works; I daresay there are lots of guys around these days, aiming to make a 'career' out of Big Bashes with hardly a thought of making the National Test Team. I watched heaps of games this summer and thoroughly enjoyed them. But couldn't care less who won. As long as its fantastic crowd appeal helps finance the continuation of Test Cricket, I'm happy. John Spehr, Doonan Qld 4562
northerner
Guest
I don't see that they could be any worse.
Jameswm
Guest
And we are not commentating on Hohns as a player either, which means his stats mean little.
Jameswm
Guest
Did Hohns? Lehman's response was absurd. How good Geeves was at cricket has little to do with his abilities in journalism. However, Hohns said White has been given opportunities previously andhas not set the world on fire. What's unfair about that? White wanted to know why a rookie was preferred, that's the reason. And a pretty legitimate one if you ask me.
JamesH
Roar Guru
I agree (although you might want to correct 'damn site' and 'Cam Wade'). It's interesting - and a bit sad - to note the similarity between Hohns' response to White and Lehmann's response to Geeves. Hohns was a little more eloquent but they both played the man instead of the ball.
TheRev
Roar Pro
Fair point Train-o, but the path to the National team was a lot better defined then, which is the point White was making