Glenn Maxwell, Australia’s batting enfant terrible, is a surprise omission from two-Test series against Pakistan in the Emirates.
When two close mates and former teammates, like Justin Langer and Rick Ponting, have vastly different views on Maxwell’s claim for recognition, little wonder there’s a lot of head scratching going on.
But it’s all part of the increasingly strange way cricket in Australia is being run.
This will be coach Langer’s first Test series, and he’s already walked into a storm with co-selectors Trevor Hohns and Greg Chappell.
“I’d love to see Maxi score more hundreds,” was Langer’s explanation.
“And he and I have talked a lot in our brief time together about the art of concentration and watching the ball like a hawk and I’m sure if he does that more regularly, he will be making a lot more hundreds and be much more pickable for Test cricket.”
Langer should know with concentration the key factor in his stellar career as second only to the legendary Sir Donald Bradman among Australian first-class century-makers.
However, Ponting’s said of Maxwell’s omission, “That’s all a bit bizarre to me”.
“If I was Maxi and I hadn’t been given the chance to play for Australia A (in India), I’d be ropeable,” the ex-Aussie captain told cricket.com.au.
“They didn’t pick him on that Australia A tour and they’ve said they’ve seen him play enough in those conditions and knew what he could do.
“But if you think about it now, that must have actually meant they weren’t going to pick him at all. He didn’t even come into calculations for that Test tour…
“I’m not sure what the message is, but it’s a bit confusing to me.”
Strangely enough, both Langer and Ponting are on the money.
Maxwell’s superb natural ability has been crucified far too often by trying to play hero shots to deliveries that demanded more respect, and paying the ultimate penalty.
Australia’s Glenn Maxwell (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Langer’s quite right Maxwell should score more centuries, but Ponting is right as well with the selectors showing the same inconsistencies as Maxwell’s batting.
There’s no way 24-year-old South African-born batsman Marnus Labuschagne deserved selection over Maxwell.
He’s played 35 Shield games for Queensland, averaging 34.07 with four tons. It is hardly riveting enough to oust Maxwell, who just happens to be one of the world’s best fieldsmen.
But the new-look Australian 15-man Test squad to meet Pakistan has more shocks.
Brendan Doggett has only played eight Shield games for Queensland, capturing 31 wickets at 28.19, but has often been timed at 150 clicks.
Recalling quick Peter Siddle just short of his 34th birthday makes one blink, so too the first-time Test selection of world-class limited-over specialist batsman Aaron Finch after debuting for the Vics in 2007.
Finch’s recognition should have been long ago, but better late than never, as Mike Hussey proved.
But Siddle is a very different story.
Peter Siddle celebrates a wicket. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
With Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood on the injured list, what has happened to far younger quicks like Chris Tremain, Chadd Sayers, Billy Stanlake, Jackson Bird, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jhye Richardson, Joe Mennie, and Andrew Tye?
Tremain in particular.
Last season in the Shield he grabbed 51 wickets at 21.07, and he’s not good enough to play against Pakistan?
So there are more questions than answers as the cricket season looms.
And one of the biggest battles will be between Channel Seven and Fox, as the new custodians of the sport, with Channel Nine on the outer for the first time in 41 years.
So fasten the seatbelts cricket fans, this season could be a rocky ride on both sides of the fence.
The Australian squad for Pakistan
Tim Paine (c)
Ashton Agar
Brendan Doggett
Aaron Finch
Travis Head
Jon Holland
Usman Khawaja
Marnus Labuschagne
Nathan Lyon
Mitchell Marsh
Shaun Marsh
Michael Neser
Matthew Renshaw
Peter Siddle
Mitchell Starc
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