“Righto, fellas. One of the top six has got to get a big one today if we are any chance of chasing this down.”
Sound familiar? Probably. One can bank on every coach or captain declaring this each weekend, at almost every level of cricket. And the reason for it is pretty simple: because the top six players in every batting order, are the batsmen.
It is their primary job to score runs. Why is it, then, that in the national team, a number six doing that, has got to do something else as well?
After Maxwell’s crafty and gutsy century at Ranchi, that lasted 198 balls, many were proven wrong about the talented Victorian, and many more were excited that perhaps the black hole in the Australian order had been filled.
Sighs of relief emanated from a selection panel that were being bashed from pillar to post for their almost sycophantic support of Mitch Marsh – even Lordy afforded Glenn some praise.
Alas, we want more. Michael Clarke has announced Maxwell’s position is not fixed after one innings, and nor should it be.
However, the former captain has cited his lack of bowling at the international level as the reason. He only bowled four overs in a Test match where his compatriots toiled for the other 206 overs, and almost 12 hours, only to take nine wickets.
As much as I hate to agree with him, Clarke is right, Maxwell was under bowled, but this is no reason for him to find himself out of the team. The Australian public seems to have an obsession with the inclusion of a star all-rounder, and we seem to think that number 6 is reserved for this player. This leaves me scratching my head.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane, and look at some players of a bygone era who occupied the position in the batting order that every ten year old asks to make their own.
Michael Hussey
Just reading his name will bring a smile to the face of any cricket purist. 19 Test centuries, and owner of the number 6 position. Technically perfect, he earned the nickname ‘Mr Cricket’ and one would be hard pressed to find an Australian cricket supporter who could say a bad word about him – well maybe the fact that he only took seven Test wickets – or did we all forget about that?
Steve Waugh
Batted at 6 for the much of his celebrated career (79 innings) and bowled little, especially late during a very successful period for Australian cricket. One would hardly categorise ‘Tugga’ as an all-rounder.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Moving outside of Australia now, Chanderpaul notched up 2528 runs at number 6, at an average of 64.82. His bowling average was 98, however, but he faced up front on, so no one cares that he was no good with the ball.
Sir Gary Sobers
Evidently the point of comparison for Glenn Maxwell. Sobers was the owner of an impressive batting average of 57.78, and claimed 235 Test wickets with the ball. He also played golf left and right handed. Come on Maxi, why can’t you deliver like old mate Grafield?
I’d be way out of line to suggest that an all-rounder is not a valuable asset to any cricket team. But you’d have to even stupider to pick a token one in place of a real batsman.
I do not seek to suggest that Maxi will be the answer to all of our batting questions, far from it, but I do believe to drop him in favour of a ‘more genuine’ all-rounder would be an unwise course of action.
Contact Andrew Young on Twitter.
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