Usman Khawaja really has not been that hard done by, regardless of the outcry from hordes of fans. It’s James Faulkner who’s been truly stiffed, first left out of the Champions Trophy and then denied a Cricket Australia contract.
Ever since Khawaja was dropped from the Test line-up in India as part of a horses-for-courses selection strategy there has been a nonstop stream of outrage from fans online. That Test call was tough, no doubt, but many of those same fans also have been angered by his non-selection for the Champions Trophy, despite Khawaja’s poor ODI record.
While I would have picked Khawaja for the tournament, that is only because of the lack of experienced alternatives, not because he had truly earned his spot.
Khawaja at least managed to keep his Cricket Australia central contract when the latest list was announced yesterday. Faulkner, meanwhile, was dealt an incredibly harsh blow, losing his contract despite being a key member of the ODI and Twenty20 line-ups for the past four years.
What makes his omission from the contract list so shocking is that some of the players handed contracts have barely ever played for Australia and look unlikely to play central roles in any of the three formats over the next 12 months. I’m referring to Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright and Billy Stanlake.
Billy Stanlake? Are you kidding me? This is a man who has a total of 26 wickets in professional cricket across all three formats, who has figures of 1-110 across his three matches for Australia. Yet Stanlake somehow is considered more worthy of a prized Cricket Australia contract than Faulkner, who has averaged 26 with the ball and 28 with the bat across his 92 matches for Australia.
Faulkner was man of the match in the 2015 World Cup final and since then has been one of Australia’s best ODI performers, taking 38 wickets from 24 matches at an average of 28. In T20Is, meanwhile, Faulkner has been in Australia’s top five players since he debuted five years ago.
He was Australia’s best player at last year’s World T20 and has a sensational record of 36 wickets at 19 from his 24 T20Is. Faulkner has been limited to those two white ball formats despite taking 6-98 and making 45 runs in his only Test match and owning comfortably better first-class averages than Mitch Marsh – 25 with the ball and 31 with the bat.
While Faulkner’s current first-class form does not justify a Test berth, he would certainly be in my Australian XI in ODIs or T20Is. The same cannot be said of Stanlake, Agar or Cartwright, who combined have played just nine matches for Australia.
Stanlake is not even on the radar for Test selection and should have at least 6-7 pacemen ahead of him in the limited overs pecking order. Agar, meanwhile, has not played for Australia in more than 12 months. Cartwright’s international experience extends to a solitary Test match.
Cartwright, Stanlake and Agar all have the potential to be fine cricketers for Australia. But they haven’t achieved anything of note for their country yet, while Faulkner has been a valuable contributor for four years now.
To be dumped from the ODI squad and denied a Cricket Australia contract is a hefty blow for the 26-year-old all-rounder, who is one of the fiercest competitors in Australian cricket, a man who always appears to be giving his all.
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
Okay Fair enough, we can understand him not playing in pune xi, but the way he has been treated by the selectors this year is absolutely unjustifiable.
Ross
Guest
Khawaja has been benched because Pune has Smith, Stokes, Du plesis and Imran Tahir as their international players, no Aussie batsmanexcept for smith and Warner would get a game for Pune
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
I can see a big connection between words "NZ Odis" "Dubai" "champions trophy" "tour game" "khawaja". 1.Khawaja was sent to Dubai = he can't play well in nz Odis = CT trophy place can't be confirmed /claimed ! 2.Khawaja missed the tour game = he can't prove he can hold a cricket bat on Indian soil = he can't earn his test spot. Note: khawaja has been benched for first 10 games so far in Ipl for rps captained by Steven Smith!
Don Freo
Guest
You know Shaun has no longer got a CA contract? The whinge is no longer valid. When a player is dropped, I don't think anyone would call that preferential treatment.
Don Freo
Guest
You know Shaun has no longer got a CA contract? The whinge is no longer valid. When a player is dropped, I don't think anyone would call that preferential treatment.
qwetzen
Guest
Faulkner's 2016/17 SS stats; 10 inn, 277 @ 30.8, sr 40.4 122 overs, 10w @ 37.0, rpo 3.0
qwetzen
Guest
Faulkner's 2016/17 SS stats; 10 inn, 277 @ 30.8, sr 40.4 122 overs, 10w @ 37.0, rpo 3.0
qwetzen
Guest
About 20 players. And that's just from Qld. Trivia question: Q. Who was the first Oz player to be given a non-playing, os tour as "a development opportunity"?
danno
Guest
Jamie Siddons.
Adrian
Guest
On the contrary, Faulkner's current first class form does justify test selection. He is far more worthy than Mitchell Marsh and should have gone to India. He is in the form of his life and lost his contract
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Thanks Chad, glad you enjoy my articles. I agree that Faulkner's FC form has waned the past two years, with the ball at least, but I think he's been good for Australia and adds nice balance and experience to the ODI and T20 sides.
Stephen
Guest
The most frustrating thing for me was for khawaja not to play those three ODIs in New Zealand along with being rested in the Adelaide ODI when that was clearly a dead rubber, don't the selectors realise that the public can see through these calls and they are not fair on this talented south paw
qwetzen
Guest
What's the count for the Test side?
qwetzen
Guest
To be fair, 13 of Ponting's innings in India were as captain so he wasn't likely to be dropped (He averaged a respectable 39.5), and Gilchrist was the wicket-keeper, ie also unlikely to be dropped. The one you should be hollering about is the one you strangely omitted, the hapless Warner. Btw, I have no interest in the Kwajaha saga.
Chad
Guest
Hi Ronan, I always enjoy reading your articles. Thanks. We just did not hear much of Faulkner this year. Cartwright impressed all. Henriques did well. Just think Faulkner showed he is not an in form player and that counted against him for this one day spot. I think he is excellent but is clearly not in his best form in general and is slipping down the pecking order. Hopefully Tassie get a good coach who can push him in the way Langer is clearly elevating the WA players. Cheers.
Ross
Guest
Qwetzen interesting to note that Ponting was given 25 innings in India, Gilchrist 18 and Khawaja has been given 0, thanks for the valuable information and just shows how unfairly Khawaja has been treated given he averages almost 50 in test cricket
qwetzen
Guest
Amith, please read my last post.
Spud-053
Guest
Sadly I was of the opinion that Faulkner must have been in his 30's but as you point out in your story Rohan he is still only 26.....certainly has a few good days left in him, as for Billy Stanlake ,,,, what are they thinking there. Must be related to one of the selectors. With Agar he would be in my sides by all three....... before O'Keeffe, but then again O'Keeffe plays for N.S.W. one does not have to say anymore. At least we got to see after his test call up why they saw something in Cartwright...... as for Khawaja he reminds me of Shaun Marsh in one game out the next, never in long enough to get settled. I suppose the selectors and Cricket Australia have their reason for all their unfathomably selections as no-one else has a clue how they do their selections maybe they use a dart board and each player is given a number.
Amith
Guest
Bottomline is that Khawaja averaged 66.75 in the preceding Test series against Pakistan after topping the runs list in a losing cause against South Africa.Rubbing salt into the wounds, Khawaja was left to carry the drinks during the four-Test series in India and watch his replacement Shaun Marsh manage only 151 runs at an average of 18.87 from his eight innings. You tell me in what country do you drop a player who was averaging 66.75 and topped the series against the mighty bowling attack of South Africa.
Amith
Guest
qwetzen you still didn't answer any of our questions. Khawaja averaged 66.75 in the preceding Test series against Pakistan after topping the runs list in a losing cause against South Africa.Rubbing salt into the wounds, Khawaja was left to carry the drinks during the four-Test series in India and watch his replacement Shaun Marsh manage only 151 runs at an average of 18.87 from his eight innings. You tell me in what country do you drop a player who was averaging 66.75 and topped the series against the mighty bowling attack of South Africa. If Marsh did well it would be ok but marsh averaged 18.87, your thoughts on this.