Try naming the odd one out of the following players: Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Chadd Sayers, Jackson Bird, Josh Hazlewood, and Peter Siddle.
Many will have correctly selected Chadd Sayers, for the reason that he is the only one out of this group never to play any form of cricket for Australia.
But a more obscure distinction between Sayers and the rest is that Sayers is the only one whose first-class bowling average is under 25 – in fact, it’s an impressive 23.31.
Even more impressive is that Sayers has actually been improving in recent years. In last season’s Sheffield Shield he was named Player of the Year, claiming 12 more wickets than the next best bowler, including a 7-84 in the final against Victoria. His bowling average that season was just 19.
Despite this, Sayers hasn’t played for his nation, and now at 30 years old and battling for selection against many youngsters, he may never be capped.
The tragedy is this is mainly down to poor luck, rather than any faults on Sayers’ end.
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Take England’s Chris Rushworth, who is a similar bowler to Sayers, excelling due to his accuracy and control rather than his pace, with a bowling average of 24.39.
Similarly, Rushworth has not been selected by his country, but this can be attributed to him playing on a home ground favourable to swing bowling, and also the fact that he plays in division two of the County Championship, and therefore faces weaker opposition.
Yet no such argument can be made for Sayers, whose home ground is the Adelaide Oval, which is arguably the most batsman-friendly pitch in Australia. What’s more, Australia’s domestic competitions ensure the talent is much more condensed, with six teams as opposed to the 16 in England.
So there are no grounds for suggesting that Sayers’ statistics are inflated.
His Test ambitions may also have been hindered by his age. Sayers was 23 when he made his first-class debut in 2011, while later that year a 21-year-old Mitchell Starc played his first Test.
Sayers has also had the misfortune of coming in during an era where Australia is spoilt for choice with pace bowlers.
Yet one of the main reasons for Sayers not being selected is the long-held belief of the Australian selectors that a bowler has to be of a certain pace to succeed at Test level.
How this belief was formed is hard to say, but there is plenty to suggest it has no foundation.
Take Vernon Philander, who bowls at a similar pace, often operating in the high 120s.
This is slow for an international speedster, particularly one from Australia or South Africa, where the pitches offer plenty of speed and bounce. Yet Philander currently has 171 Test wickets at an average of just 22.45.
Locally, Stuart Clark actually sacrificed pace for accuracy, and as a result ended with 94 Test wickets at an average of 23.86.
There is also a hidden benefit to bowling at this pace, which is that injuries can be far less common. This is particularly relevant with Australia’s current crop.
For these various reasons, Sayers has been denied the possibility of a Test career akin to Philander’s, and can at best probably hope for a short but impressive one like Clark’s.
However, even this is looking increasingly unlikely, and Australia may see one of their most talented bowlers of his generation retire without a single international appearance.
Simon
Guest
That was literally the last big game he played in? And quite obviously he’s been good this season as well. Made Smith look like a fool in round one of the shield
Don Freo
Guest
He's had stacks of good performances...then. If he wants to be in contention now, he has to keep doing it...like Starc, Hazlewood, Mennie, Mackin and Tremain. I mention the last 3 to indicate the pack he is sitting in. He has to be better than them...now, not in the past.
Simon
Guest
so taking 7/84 on an absolute highway in the shield final in alice springs is not 'earning it'?
Doctor Rotcod
Guest
He could only collect one wicket in Victoria's second innings from 14 overs and is sitting on 10 wickets so far this season with Bird and Richardson.That's about par. From Cricinfo's stats,there's a dozen bowlers with better averages so far ,(from two games,I know). He'll really have to turn it up in the tour match against the English.
BurgyGreen
Guest
Look, I honestly don't think Chadd is unlucky. The only bowler who clearly shouldn't have been picked ahead of him was Joe Mennie. Maybe Peter Siddle. Other than that, he's simply been kept out of the side by better bowlers. He's a fine player, but that's just how it is when you live in a country with extremely deep fast bowling stocks.
HB
Guest
Not sure about the time when this was written, but Hazlewood and Bird both appear to average less than 25 right now...
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
The comparison with Philander has a little merit, although I think Sayers is far less threatening with an old ball.
Don Freo
Guest
He'd have to earn it, Dan...like bowling SA to victory over Victoria. I'd say Mennie offers more because he can keep pressure on with an old ball too.
dan ced
Guest
I've compared him to Vilander, I think being shorter would add good variety also. Wickets don't lie, can't judge how he will go in tests UNTIL YOU GIVE HIM A BLOODY GO.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
I tend to agree, making the pink ball test Chad's best chance for selection. However, unless we have several quick bowlers out injured, there are still too many ahead of him for that to be a reality.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
It would seem logical that playing at test level would lift a bowler's First Class average just as it would be expected a batsman's average to fall a little. Bird's FC average is 24.6 without his test matches. Starc 24.7 and Hazlewood 24.1, so perhaps not selecting Sayers for test cricket is the best thing for his average. On a more serious note, Sayers has shown he is a quality domestic bowler but probably behind Bird for selection if they are looking at a less than 140 kph option.
beepee
Guest
Sure...but what has Bird done wrong? He's almost in the same boat as Sayers, albeit with a few tests under his belt. He's dropped time and again for the favoured 'quicker' bowler, no matter how good a job he does.
Josh
Guest
If I’m picking a team to win the Adelaide Test I’m giving big Patty C a well earned rest/KPI break/bowled too many balls and I’m drafting in one C. Sayers. That’s the truth of the matter
Simon
Guest
Yep. Both a brilliant bowler and he’d add variety to our attack; he’s a very different bowler to Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins. A real shame if he doesn’t play a test, a bit disappointing that it looks like Fawad Ahmed probably never will either
paul
Guest
Australia's love affair with really quick fast bowlers goes back well over 100 years and by chance, we've had some really good ones every generation or so. Post WWII, Lindwall & Miller, Lillee & Thompson and of course more recently, Johnson and Starc. If you throw Cummins into the mix as a quality quick, it doesn't leave many places for Sayers to fill, especially with Hazlewood in form and others bowling well. Australia has toyed with a "horses for courses" policy with the batting lineup - just ask Khawaja. I wonder why they won't consider that with Sayers, at least for Adelaide and maybe for the next English tour? If he does get a run this campaign, it's likely to be in places which don't suit his bowling. This might either prove a good test of his skills or he n=might end up playing only 1 or 2 Tests
Don Freo
Guest
The "keep it tight" bit is not really correct. He only does that early. When the new ball loses its shine, Chadd loses his potency. He is in his right place in the pecking order.
Basil
Guest
Last season it felt criminal that he wasn't selected for Hobart and Adelaide where conditions were tailor made for him. He is the perfect compliment to Starc. He can bowl all day and keep it tight thus downgrading the need for the 5th bowler to be an allrounder but rather a genuine bat that could pitch in with a few overs. He should almost be the first picked for the Adelaide Oval D/N Test. As his record shows, he genuinely deserves his chance.
nick
Guest
I think it's unlikely we'll use the same bowlers for all 5 tests, I'd be very happy if Sayers got a run instead of others like Bird, NCN, Behrendorf... He deserves it for wicket taking ability and he also knows how to keep it tight.