Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns and Australian cricket coach Justin Langer are two very strong-willed men.
With Hohns’ track record over 15 years of ending careers well-documented, and Langer’s track record of strongly supporting anything Western Australian, there’s bound to be conflict over selections.
And it may well need the calming influence of Greg Chappell, as the third selector, to keep some sort of peace.
Don’t be surprised if Hohns wants the Marsh brothers to miss out on the second Test against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi after they managed only 19 runs between them batting three and four at Dubai, and facing 80 deliveries in the process during four visits to the crease.
Shaun and Mitchell contributed nothing in the most honourable of draws when realistically the Australians were dead in the water.
Langer wouldn’t hear of dropping the brothers, no Western Australian can do any wrong.
It’s been that loyalty Langer’s shown over five years that has been repaid by the players in winning two Sheffield Shield titles, the Scorchers winning three BBLs, and the Warriors two one-day titles – a phenomenal record.
Justin Langer, coach of Australia (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Just ask Michael Slater, Dean Jones and Mark Waugh about Hohns’ get-on-your-bike selections.
Even though Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor evaded his clutches to retire in their time, Hohns tried his hardest to punt them earlier.
That’s why he’s known as ‘Hatchet Hohns’.
So right now the Marsh brothers are vulnerable, as Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch were in the lead-up to Dubai.
In Hohns’ book, Khawaja could only average 14 on the sub-continent. Even though Finch was one of the most devastating one-day batsmen in the world, he wasn’t a Test player.
That they combined as openers to trouble the scoreboard with 142 and 87 opening partnerships, blew Hohns out of the water.
But Abu Dhabi is a green top, so Hohns will rate the brothers as liable.
Obviously Matt Renshaw has recovered from the major whack he copped on the head while fielding, so he’s a big chance of batting three, Shaun’s spot, even though Renshaw was selected as an opener.
Travis Head could bat four after his Dubai heroics, so Hohns might relent on Mitchell to take Marnus Labuschagne’s place, who showed more talent as a leggie than he did with the bat.
How Hohns and Langer must be regretting leaving Glenn Maxwell at home.
Australian selector Trevor Hohns (AAP Image/Gillian Ballard)
Ashton Agar must come into calculations, as I rate him a better batsman than an orthodox left-arm spinner.
So the second Test team could look like this.
Usman Khawaja
Aaron Finch
Matt Renshaw
Travis Head
Marnus Labuschagne
Tim Paine
Ashton Agar
Mitchell Starc
Peter Siddle
Nathan Lyon
Jon Holland
It all depends on what happens at the selection table, and whether Greg Chappell will be on the phone back home assisting.
David Lord
Expert
Quite correct George and Michael, entirely my fault. Looking back on my notes, I had Western Australia playing in two finals, yet wrote titles - a brain fade for which there is no excuse.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
"With Hohns’ track record over 15 years of ending careers well-documented, and Langer’s track record of strongly supporting anything Western Australian, there’s bound to be conflict over selections. And it may well need the calming influence of Greg Chappell, as the third selector, to keep some sort of peace" Got this far and thought; "Who's writing this dribble?" Serves me right for not checking the author before reading.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
A very good point. Both Marsh's have had their path to test cricket paved before them long before JL was appointed as coach. How Langer deals with the return from suspension of his surrogate son Bancroft will be his first test of any state bias.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
"...the calming influence of Greg Chappell...". This is pure gold, David. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. He will be arguing over both of them to select some 16 year old he saw make runs on a concrete pitch at a schoolboys carnival.
Steve Franklin
Roar Rookie
100% correct Tom in what you say it wasn't just 1 test David J they have flopped in the few tests before the last one. There techniques are really bad that's why they get out LBW alot cause they don't move their feet they both have got to go and never return.
Damo
Guest
Marsh brothers were untouchable under previous coach/selection panel. Dunno why you have to take the cheap shot at Langer - it's just business as usual. Perhaps Hohns is the one that loves them?
Tom
Guest
Could always drop them seeing as in their last 5 tests Mitch and Shaun average 18 and 15 respectively. Not good enough.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
«after they managed only 19 runs between them». Your ignorance of cricket knows no bounds. You don’t just drop people on the basis of one match if they get good balls. Shaun Marsh got a brilliant ball in the second innnings, coming into his stumps then cutting away and taking the edge. Khawaja played an over of similar though not quite so accurate balls from Abbas and played and missed FOUR times. Mitch got a beauty of a reverse inswinger. He was closer to defending that ball on 0 than was Finch did his on 49. Who played worse? Head was a walking wicket who played eight false strokes on which he could have got out to Yasir and should have been given out on 44. Sometimes the luck is with you or it isn’t. Although the two most incompetent and worrying dismissals were those of Head (lbw to a nothing ball) and Labuschagne (lbw playing back to a fullish leg spinner). You can only judge run scoring potential on a medium or long term basis. Shaun Marsh’s Test average of 37 is better than the first class average of Finch, Head or Labuschagne. Mitch Marsh had some good form in the lead up games but with his average still under 30, there is a case for dropping him and leaving in Labuschagne, though why anyone thinks Labuschagne deserves his place because his part time leggies looked promising is beyond me.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Exactly this. Langer does not strike me as the sort of person to back down from a position and risk losing face.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Renshaw hadn't played enough to get a game in the first Test. I don't see how that has change for the second. It is an absurd reason not to pick him but that is the reason they gave so it would be very questionable if he suddenly played.
Ouch
Roar Rookie
So the second Test team could look like this. Usman Khawaja Aaron Finch Matt Renshaw Travis Head Marnus Labuschagne Tim Paine Ashton Agar Mitchell Starc Peter Siddle Nathan Lyon Jon Holland Wishful thinking David.
Paul
Roar Guru
Davod, the side you selected is the same as I would have had but I gather from Tim Paine's comments they're keeping the same top 6, which plays to your "loyalty to WA players" theory. The part I don't understand is how Renshaw, who was a certainty to play in the first Test, can't get a run in the second game after the batting failure in Dubai? I've never heard Hohns described as "hatchet" but it's true he wanted to replace Taylor and S Waugh earlier than when they retired. It's equally true they were not batting brilliantly and there were ready made replacements in form, so Hohns was merely doing his job.
JohnB
Roar Rookie
They did get to finals in 2013-14 & 2014-15 but needed to win each time. As they couldn't they were runner up both seasons - but that's probably near enough by Roar standards! 5th, 3rd and 4th (admittedly with a lot of injuries) in the last 3 years. A lot less impressive than Lehmann's record before taking on the Australian coaching role it shouldn't be forgotten. To be fair to Langer, or anyone who goes into a national team job after close connection to a state, it's understandable that he would be more familiar with the players he's worked with - however, he'll presumably be smart enough to realise that he gives himself the best chance of staying in the job if he picks the best team available regardless of where they're from.
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
C'mon George we can't expect David to get all facts right surely... It would have taken him two minutes he doesn't have spare to quickly check that the last time WA won the shield was in 1998/99.
George
Guest
Two Sheffield Shield titles? Oh dear.