In a recent interview with ABC Radio Usman Khawaja questioned the ‘chop and change’ attitude of Australia’s selectors, claiming that it has created “a lot of instability in the team.”
While Khawaja’s own interests may have influenced his comments, his point is certainly valid, and should also be considered before and during the upcoming Ashes series.
In Australia’s top seven, for example, only Steve Smith and David Warner have been assured of their spots in the Test team over the past couple of years. In fact, of the top seven that was selected against New Zealand in Brisbane less than two years ago, only Khawaja, Smith and Warner are likely to start in the first Test against England.
This period has seen the likes of Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Hilton Cartwright, Mitchell Marsh, Callum Ferguson and Joe Burns all be selected and then dropped on at least one occasion.
It is therefore hardly surprising that such inconsistent selection has coincided with such inconsistent results, with Khawaja himself stating that it is hard to play “consistent cricket if you’re not getting consistent opportunity”.
In these two years, Australia have at times looked superb, such as that very series against New Zealand, which banished the hurt of the previous Ashes, or indeed in India – where for a while it seemed as though Australia could manage a highly improbable series win.
But then there have also been some more dire results. These include Australia being whitewashed by a similarly inconsistent Sri Lankan side, and of course their drubbing in Hobart to the hands of South Africa, which alone caused a mass exodus from the side.
This chaotic approach to selecting also fails to acknowledge Australia’s last Ashes win, where Australia played the same 11 throughout the series.
This, of course, is partly due to the fact that when a team is playing so well they can afford to carry players who are struggling for form. Not to mention that it seems unlikely Australia’s current bowling line-up will all make it to the Gabba without an injury, let alone get through the entire series.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Yet the consistency in selection also helped bring about results. Chris Rogers is a particularly good example of this. Rogers struggled a great deal in the first three games of the 2013-14 Ashes, and had the series still been on the line he may have been dropped.
But instead the selectors persevered with Rogers, and he went on to make hundreds in the next two Tests.
However Rogers’ contribution went beyond those two games, as from that stage to the end of the next Ashes series when Rogers retired, he and Warner formed one of the most successful opening combinations of the time.
Similarly, Nathan Lyon, one of the few players who has had faith shown in him the past few years, has rewarded the selectors with increasingly consistent performances.
Lyon has struggled in Asia for much of his career, but in the recent two-match series against Bangladesh, he claimed an incredible 22 wickets. This was likely a result of the cumulative experience he now has in bowling in sub-continent, which is a consequence of his continued selection.
Yet on the other hand, in the four Tests Australia played in India, and the two they played in Bangladesh, Khawaja only featured in the side once, despite being in good form before the tours.
Khawaja will, therefore, walk out to bat at the Gabba with little recent Test cricket under his belt, and the knowledge that his place in the side is far from safe. These sort of conditions are far from optimal for, yet they are experienced throughout the squad to varying degrees.
Australia’s selectors should subsequently show more patience with their team when picking players for the Ashes series and beyond. This does not guarantee a series win, but it does ensure the team performs more consistently, and ceases to be in a constant transitional phase.
bearfax
Guest
Cummins and Pattinson have great potential if they can stay on the field and avoid injuries. Looks like Pattinson's career is almost finishing before it effectively started. Hopefully Cummins will be available for the upcoming tests and avoid injury. Will be interested to see how young Paris goes this Shield season.
Steve
Guest
Yes i agree with you about Maxwell the shorter game has ruined many cricketers but if you are a professional you should be able to adjust and he can't,anyone who has to rely on the reverse sweep all the time is not a good shot.Yes the Marsh's are the same and you are right Renshaw is going to be a terrific batsmen in the long run same as Hanscombe and Kawaja is a dour bat also and should be in the team. But i think our main problem is we don't have any good bowler's outside Starc and Hazlewood, yes we have fast bowler's who bowl way to short and can't swing a ball all they concentrate on is speed and nothing else Starc and Hazlewood are the only 2 we have who can move a ball in the air. As far as 20/20 is concerned it is ruining our players i have never watched a game of it and never will it's a rubbish game to me i like the 50/50 and tests only games that should be on the calendar .
bearfax
Guest
Steve, I think Maxwell has a little of the Shaun Marsh problem. Loads of talent, spectacular to watch at his best, but inconsistent and doesn't seem to treasure his wicket enough. Much of this I blame on the shorter forms of cricket that seem to instil some bad habits in some batsmen. Some adapt easily to all forms like Smith, but others dont seem to be able to leave their one day style behind. To me a good test batsman is one who has grit and determination and will stick out the more dangerous bowling and their period of vulnerabilities until their eye is in, and then use their stylish skill. Young Renshaw looks of that breed. Cowan could have been but couldnt seem to stick around after the hard work had been done. Maxwell and S. Marsh dont seem as able to tough it out as well early in an innings, explaining why they get out cheaply so often. Once they've got to 20-30 runs they are on their way with their free flowing style...their eye is in. Maxwell in particular early in his first class career was averaging mid 40s in his first class games. His first class average is now a shade under 40. Shaun Marsh for years meandered around the mid 30s average in first class cricket. Only in recent years has he put his head down and fought harder, raising his average to almost 41. Maxwell has a chance being only 29 but he needs to tough it out more and get rid of that one day thinking he developed from too much of that style of play and not enough grinding cricket (for years he barely played more than two or three games a Shield season), at least until he reaches something like 30 runs.
Steve Franklin
Roar Rookie
We will never beat any team if the selectors don;t start picking our best players and not there mates. If Wade is the best keeper we have well we don't have a good gloveman at all, Same with Maxwell if he's as good as he thinks he is why is he averaging 16 or 17 whatever his average is it's just not good enough and should be playing A Grade cricket in the park.Our bowlers bowl way to short and get smacked all over the place and whoever is teaching them to bowl that rubbish needs the sack.We need Hazelwood and Starc back quickly outside of them we have the crappiest fast bowlers on the planet.Please selectors pick our best players and give us a chance to beat England , India, and Bangladesh or is it good to be beaten by them, i think it's embarrassing.
Ross
Guest
Michael great breakdown and just shows how good khawaja is to manage a average of close to 50 even after getting dropped 6 times.
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
I understand his weakness against spin in Asia but he still has a point. His test career of 24 tests has been in 7 stints with no more than 6 tests in a row. Only one stint has been interrupted by injury the rest have been selectors dropping him. Assuming he is selected for the Ashes it will be his 8th stint in the test side. It's quite incredible he's managed to average 45 and score 5 centuries. Khawaja's test career has gone like this: Plays 3 tests Dropped for 2 tests Plays 3 tests Dropped for 18 tests Plays 3 tests Dropped for 22 tests Plays 2 tests Misses 2 test injured Plays 6 tests Dropped for 1 test Plays 6 tests Dropped for 4 tests Plays 1 test Dropped for 1 test
Ross
Guest
Chair info was a joke, how the heck did Khawaja not even play the warm up game in India, worst piece of selection by Trevor hohns there to replace Khawaja with Shaun marsh in the India tour as marsh ended up averaging 18 after 4 consecutive tests
Ross
Guest
I agree with George in this one
Ross
Guest
The problem with marsh is not lack of opportunities, selectors habe given him a lot of opportunities but he has got injured about 4 times which is why the selectors are trying to move forward
Ross
Guest
Don't be fact Khawaja got a 80 on a pitch Nsw were all out for 150 shows some class, even yoi will admit this
Ross
Guest
Wow John Erichsen, that's the best comment I have ever read on the roar, you went back a few years and I forgot how badly Khawaja was treated throughout his career, fantastic mate
Ross
Guest
Matthew you failed to answer my last comments, hard to argue against the fact that Khawaja has been mis treated badly by Trevor hohns
John Erichsen
Guest
Khawaja was harshly dealt with in the 2013 Ashes series. He made 54 in the 2nd innings on a Lord's minefield, and given out caught off Swann when he missed the ball by 6 inches in another innings. People screamed about how Phil Hughes was poorly treated by selectors. Khawaja was given far less opportunities to cement his spot than Phil. Khawaja was dropped after his third test, dropped again after his 6th (despite outscoring Hughes and Hussey in the NZ series) and dropped again after his 9th (2013 Ashes). He then averages 152 v New Zealand, 100 v West Indies and almost 70 in New Zealand. Dropped after two poor tests in Sri Lanka, returns to the team and makes 581 runs @ 58.1 v Sth Africa and Pakistan. Isn't picked for the Indian tour and dumped again after failing in the first test in Bangladesh. About to be selected for his 25th test match, Khawaja will be starting his 7th tour of duty as an Australian test player. Hard to play good spin bowling on turning wickets when you are looking over your shoulder for the selector's knife. Could Khawaja have made dropping him in Asia a tougher decision? Of course, he could. A couple of decent scores would have done that. Not picking him in India leaves us wondering if that was his time to turn it around. If it was, it has now passed and i doubt we will ever see him selected for a test in the subcontinent again. Of course, if our selectors and admin weren't total idiots, they would have given our test side a better preparation for the 2016 series in Sri Lanka. Khawaja in brilliant form didn't adjust fast enough, although he scored plenty in the one lead up game, played on a green grassy pitch that looked nothing like the dry, barren test pitches served up.
John Erichsen
Guest
Hard to use the South Africa or Pakistan series as a critique of Khawaja. He averaged 52.33 against SA, including 64 in the 2nd dig of the Hobart disaster and 66.75 against Pakistan. Thanks for sharing some reality via your response.
bearfax
Guest
Yeah George but didnt he look good during those brief innings.
George
Guest
Probably. And it's resulted in a Test average of 36.
Matt P
Roar Rookie
Regurgitating the same debunked arguments, all caps lock, likening to a fight... ah, the maturity.
Stephen
Guest
THE WINNER BY KNOCKOUT BETWEEN MATTHEW AND ROSS IS ROSS. WELL DONE ROSS :)
Rellum
Roar Guru
That is more down to an inability to get a start. Once he did he got runs. Bradman had the same issue boom or bust, he just got himself in far more often and of course went massive most of the time..
George
Guest
In 41 completed Test innings, Shaun Marsh has made: 15 scores of under 3 runs; 2 more between 3-10 and 7 innings of between 11 and 19 runs. (8 fifties and 4 hundreds mind, but clearly has a a massive issue getting settled)