Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins should both get a rest during the remaining two Ashes Tests.
Jackson Bird deserves to replace Starc, who should not be risked in the fourth Test as he battles a bruised heel, while Ashton Agar should come in for Cummins at the SCG to offer spin support for Nathan Lyon.
Winning the upcoming Test series in South Africa is far more important than completing a 5-0 rout of England, and if Australia are going to beat the Proteas they’ll need their full-strength pace attack as healthy as possible.
The Aussies have not lost a Test series in South Africa since 1970 but the Proteas are looking ominous due to the return of all-time greats Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers. Australia are accustomed to having a much better pace attack than their opponents, yet with Steyn, prodigy Kagiso Rabada, towering enforcer Morne Morkel, and metronomic seamer Vernon Philander, the Proteas are just as stacked.
South Africa scythed through the Australian batting line-up last summer even without Morkel, and with Steyn getting injured midway through the first Test in Perth.
Steyn, who has not played a Test since then, is set to make his comeback in the Boxing Day Test against Zimbabwe, before getting three Tests against India next month to build momentum for the showdown with Australia.
AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE
Morkel, meanwhile, has been in hot form since returning to the SA side this year. He has taken 34 wickets at an average of 25 from eight Tests, and was joint man of the series on the Proteas’ recent Test tour of England.
South Africa face a welcome selection headache as they decide how to fit in four elite quicks plus in-form spinner Keshav Maharaj. The tweaker bowled impressively in Australia last summer and has the fantastic record of 51 wickets at 26 after 13 Tests.
The glut of bowling talent the Proteas possess is a key reason why Australia, having already secured the Ashes, must now play safe with their elite quicks.
Cummins told the media yesterday that Starc needed to be very careful in how he managed his heel, an injury which Cummins himself has previously endured.
While Cummins has no known injury concerns, it would be worth resting him from the Sydney Test and fielding a bowling attack of Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Bird, Agar and Mitch Marsh.
The injury-prone Cummins has played ten first-class matches in the past nine months, which is more than he did in the first seven years of his professional career. It would be wise then to exercise caution and rest Cummins at the SCG, where Agar took ten wickets for Western Australia in a Sheffield Shield match last summer.
The left armer also impressed in Australia’s two Tests in Bangladesh four months ago, taking seven wickets at 23, as well as playing handy knocks of 41 not out and 22.
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Agar has been in fine form over the past year, averaging 26 with the ball from seven first-class matches, and adds value with his generous batting ability. Bird, meanwhile, is the obvious choice to replace Starc at the MCG thanks to his consistently excellent Test performances.
Not only has Bird averaged 27 with the ball across his eight Tests, but he’s also dominated the Shield this summer, with 25 wickets at 16 from four matches. He also owns a sensational first-class record at the MCG, with 31 wickets at 19.
Bird and Agar can help Australia complete a 5-0 rout of England while the home side offer valuable rests to Starc and Cummins.
Ben Brown
Guest
I agree he is a pretty cool guy but nowhere near tactically gifted as Clarke, though that may be down to the fact that Clarke was 30 years old when he made captain, so he was more mature and had grown up around Warne, Ponting, McGrath etc
LaurensK
Guest
Ja that’s the one Must say I love watching aus play. Some great fast bowling and Steve Smith is such a likeable man! First cool aus captain in a while
Ben Brown
Guest
For me, if you wanted some real bowling firepower, this would be the SA XI Elgar Makram Amla De Villiers Du Plessis De Kock Philander Maharaj Rabada Steyn Morkel If De Villiers and Amla bat around their averages of 50, should give De Kock a really solid platform to fire from No. 6, where IMO he is best suited. Should be a really tough, gritty series. Wouldn't be surprised if it ends up 2-2.
LaurensK
Guest
Ja I know dude but it’s a reality I think a guy like Kuhn was shafted. Didn’t perform vs England but then nobody did
Ben Brown
Guest
Bavuma? Haha he's a spud. Only in the team because of racial quotas
Babee
Guest
It's not necessary to rest all 3 together for ODIs. Rest hazlewood and Cummins can be rested for first 2 odis and starc can lead the attack with ncn, k Richardson , j Richardson as backup. After 1st 2 bring back hazlewood instead of starc. Then starc Cummins ncn behrendorff for the 20-20 series.
Wandering Aloud
Guest
I miss Ryan Harris. Such a shame he had the knees of a 90 year old. Could easily have become one of the games greats.
LarryK
Guest
Best SA XI? Dean Elgar Markram The Hash FAF (Captain) AB Bavuma Quinton de Kock (WC) Philander Morkel Stein Rabada Maharaj Phehlukwayo (12th man) Looking at this lineup our concern is form of the mighty Hash, FAF and Bavuma? Phehlukwayo should eventually start but I'm sure if his bowling is consistent yet Our batting lineup is shaky though with quite a few of these players in questionable form
13th Man
Guest
If we flog the poms 5-0 in the Ashes I couldn't care less if England paste our second string bowlers in meaningless ODI matches, they still won't get the ashes back. We've got bigger fish to fry, give the boys a rest in the ODI series and have them fit and firing for SA.
mrrexdog
Roar Guru
If we want to rest the fast bowlers surely we rest them during the ODI and T20 series. Players not involved in the T20 series could be able to play in the two Shield games 8th-11th Feb and 16th-19th Feb before the tour match starts on the 22nd. Although the 2nd Shield game might be a bit of a stretch for the fast bowlers. If we rest Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood for the ODI and T20 series, we give them a full month off, then play them in the first Shield game back, then send them over to South Africa. As for bowling depth, I think we’ll do fine. Fast bowlers seemed to do well in the jlt cup Mennie 13 wickets at 22 J.Richardson 13 wickets at 27 Abbott 12 wickets at 24 Siddle 9 wickets at 30, but went for less than 4 an over. Tye 9 wickets at 17, missed half the tournament due to Australian duties
Paul
Roar Guru
I guess it depends on priorities Ronan. The selectors need to decide whether we want to win a meaningless ODI series and risk further injury to the quicks in particular or whether we want to rest guys in preparation for the Tests in SA. I know which way I'd go. If they play the Tests here then rest, they have at least 4 weeks to get rid of the niggles. Few people will remember the outcome of the ODIs but most will remember whether we beat SA at home. By the way, if the ODI World Cup was coming up instead of a Test series, I'd be playing them for sure, but not with the focus on Tests.
Mattyb
Guest
If Starcs injured he doesn't play and if Cummins is fit he does. Cummins is just as likely to break down in South Africa coming out of mothballs as he is from continuing to bowl now. Continuality is actually a good thing,especially for professional sportsmen. Resting players to me seems a lot like just overthinking things. It also devalues the baggy green and is pretty rude to the paying public CA expect to come along and watch the test matches,probably a minor thing but worth consideration in a growingly competive market for people's interest in attending sporting events.
Graeme
Guest
Resting players is the curse of modern sport, just play the best every time every match. There is no resilience or strength in modern cricketers, series have been lost "resting" players and stamina is a thing of the past. There are 18 posts so far and no one has called to drop Shaun or Mitch, what is going on here?
BurgyGreen
Guest
Yeah, for me it's that or Ryno's first-baller to Cook in the Ashes. What a legend.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Absolutely Burgy, this tour of SA has classic written all over it. This, from the last tour, is literally my single favourite moment in cricket history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08LCCJdVQtQ
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Paul Australia actually arrive in SA on February 18, and have a 3-day match starting on Feb 21, so that's not that big a rest when you consider the likes of Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood will probably be playing in the ODIs right up until the end of January. Australia have had very bad experiences with resting their frontline quicks from ODIs over the past 18 months - that's what led to their 5-0 smashing in SA last year and 4-1 hammering in India recently. With the likes of Coulter-Nile, Pattinson and Behrendorff injured, and Hastings recently retired, Australia's back-up ODI pace reserves are really thin. If they rested their big guns they'd be left with an extremely weak pace attack like Boland, Tremain, Richardson and Faulkner. Fielding an attack like that against the highest-scoring ODI team in the world in England would be a massive risk for CA, who wouldn't want to end the summer with Australia getting smashed around the park by England.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I think Johnson actually bowled even better in that SA series than he did in the preceding 2013-14 Ashes, but it's a performance that has been largely overshadowed.
Linphoma
Guest
I was about to say it would be hard to leave Cummins out for his home Test but the four frontline bowlers are all-NSW so someone misses a home Test - for Bird to come in who can also have his parents attend and not have to fly them in from interstate. I'd argue Hazlewood too might be in need of spelling. Without him the other two wouldn't be allowed to do what they do. His asset is just as important as the other two.
BurgyGreen
Guest
Scarier, I'd argue. A couple of absolutely savage short balls at Centurion to get Smith and Faf.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
"Cummins was a bit down on pace in the last Test I noticed, I wouldn’t be surprised if he tires and loses a bit of potency in the final two games. " My impression is that Cummins has been bowling well within himself all summer, perhaps not trusting his body to survive the Ashes if he goes full pelt. Often he's been bowling consistently in the 138-142kmh range and then suddenly he'll let one fly at 150+ before going back to low 140s.