The squad for Australia’s first Test against India this summer has been selected and comprises mostly tried-and-tested names and just two newcomers.
Chris Tremain and Marcus Harris have been named in the squad, but the former looks certain to miss out as Australia already have one of the most lethal bowling attacks in the world, and though the latter may get a chance to debut, it feels like he is on trial in the ongoing Shield match, in which he scored a useful 60-odd yesterday.
Coming to the selectors, Trevor Hohns and Greg Chappell have been constants on the selection panel. Now that Justin Langer has joined them, the coach is more empowered in making selections.
With many Cricket Australia and team support staff officials resigning recently, why have no questions or objections been raised by any official committee or review about the selectors? They must be equally responsible for the team’s up-and-down results in the last few years. Should selector appointments not also be based on performance?
There are a good few reasons why they should be. The selectors have a pool of players from which they have been selecting in the last two to three years, and they don’t seem willing to look beyond this stale and hit-and-miss group.
On the few occasions they have given opportunities to youngsters or new players, they have been really impatient – one bad series or two bad Tests cost the new players a place in the team. Joe Burns was out after one bad series, and Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb were dropped after few bad matches.
(AAP Image/Luis Ascui)
I don’t know the basis of selecting Marnus Labuschagne in the first place, but after two average Tests and despite some signs of improvement, he’s out.
Who has survived this treatment? The ‘pool’ players. Shaun and Mitch Marsh get chance after chance. Despite lots of rash shots, low scores and missed chances to show potential, Glenn Maxwell is still in the side.
Whenever the Test quicks are not available for the ODIs, Nathan-Coulter Nile finds himself in the team. Andrew Tye has a reasonable record in international white-ball cricket, but how many times has he come up trumps against batsmen who decide to whack him from the start?
What do Chris Tremain, Jhye Richardson or Gabe Bell think of the move to bring back Peter Siddle? The same Siddle who is thoroughly military medium without the control required at that pace? With a good chance to blood a new keeper last season, the selectors went back to their pre-decided option of Tim Paine. Yes, he did extremely well in that series, but what about the long-term prospects for that position?
Matthew Wade and Jackson Bird are few more examples that come to mind as being of the preferred pool of players – and adding to this ‘pool-only’ selection method, there are now some BBL picks finding their way in, like D’Arcy Short and Chris Lynn.
The only point I want to make is that the selectors have been hesitant to blood new players. Even on the few occasions on which they have done so, they have not backed those players in the way Allan Border or Mark Waugh did; they found comfort in going back to the same stale, beaten pool of players.
The Capetown incident should have been seen as a chance to rebuild the team that has been transitioning after the domination era. New players should have taken up the Test batting spots, and they should be persisting with complete faith for the next two seasons. After all these years of short-term thinking by the selectors it’s time to think long term.
The clean-up in Cricket Australia will be complete by letting the incumbent selectors go and bringing in bold, fresh ideas.
Baggy_Green
Roar Pro
Anyways with the current selection of the current selectors : Harris Finch Head Khawaja SMarsh Handscomb Cummins Paine Starc Lyon Hoff will be my batting order for Adelaide When does Chapell's contract end ? Read somewhere Hohns is in till Feb 2020
Baggy_Green
Roar Pro
The overhaul will be complete with selectors and Graham Hick being given a farewell !!!
Baggy_Green
Roar Pro
Agree with you PJ .. pick and stick for reasonable amount of time
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Been saying that for years. The selectors need to get over it already. Flintoff was great, we got beaten. Let it go!
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
When you take out innings it does say something about their consistency. Maxwell might have averaged 56 in the Shield but he did have a near triple century, his average otherwise was less than 30 i think. It still seems bizarre that Handscomb was dropped, his test average is 43.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
To be considered for tests Tye needs to tighten up his bowling. Far too expensive to be a leading quick.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
For your HW , "check last 4 years" you said. So help us check.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Why the 'unknown'?
Paul Phillips
Guest
Maxwell has played 7 tests and averages 26 with the bat. Mitch Marsh has played 30 tests for the same average. Take out Maxwell's one century and his average drops below 20. That's not good enough. I am still wondering why Matt Renshaw was dropped. 3 half centuries and one century in 11 tests at the top of the order, averaging close to 35...not a bad start to what should have been a promising career!
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
Last 4(excluding this year) years M Marsh shield average is --> unknown,unknown,6.5,38.5 This year averages 46 till now(comes down from 151!!) Last 2 FC match average 22.5 & 18 Performance graph(average) : 151 --> 22.5 --> 18
Baggy_Green
Roar Pro
The selection of Mitch Marsh shows that the ghost of Flintoff2005 still haunts the selectors.
Baggy_Green
Roar Pro
You have to only see the selections of Pat Cummins , Michael Clarke , Ricky Ponting to see that sometimes bold selections do work. If Puckovski was still playing and had added another 2 100s to his double ton , would the current selectors had picked him for the summer test series ? I doubt. They are making a mess of Renshaw at the moment - had a superb second half last year and county season this year. But the selectors' focus on his scores in the Shield matches this year has put undue pressure on him
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
His Shield batting average...when...? Are you including innings when he was 18-22? Why would anyone do that? Did you ever see Steve Waugh's first 6 years?...or Steve Smith's? Try his last 4 years.
mrrexdog
Roar Guru
An average of 26 is unacceptable for a player who has played 30 tests, besides his Sheffield Shield batting average is 28 so the fact that his test average is only 26 shouldn’t come as a real shock.
Kandeepan Arul
Roar Rookie
My guess for the continued selection of Mitch Marsh would be due to the insistence of the coach, captain, and so-called sports scientists who are responsible for managing the bowlers' workload to minimise risk of injury. Finding a no.6 who can also share the bowling work load isn't easy. I actually thought labuschagne's leggies in the UAE weren't shabby. Had a good wrong'un to go with his leggie.
PJ1975
Guest
Oz needs to select 14 like Silk, Patterson, Maddison they feel can deliver and stick to them for 8-12 matches.. If players are talented result will come. Too much of chopping and changing is not going to work
keith hurst
Roar Pro
The issue that heads your article is very important it but every comment whinges about individual selections, not what the topic is. Selectors do not have a divine right. They must rise and fall with the success or failure of their selections. As we do not know which selector favours which player one has no evidence to discard or retain the selectors. So our only criteria should be success and/or consistency. On these grounds the present panel must go. Another panel should be appointed. I have no qualifications to suggest who should be on it and I really don’t mind. Let the chairman pick a new panel or the coach. Even ask Steve Waugh or Shane Warne to nominate it. Then give them 2 years to see how they go. Isn’t this the fairest way? Keith Hurst sports fanatic
anon
Roar Pro
You'd hope he had some big scores in there. He's considered one of the 6 best batsmen in the country. He wasn't picked for his bowling because for several years he was seldom used because of his shoulder problem that required a reconstruction. Picking Mitch Marsh is bad enough, but making him vice captain simply stinks. Another tone deaf Cricket Australia decision.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I wonder how he got enough runs to average 26. Must be the good scores he got between the failures you always complain about.
John
Guest
I think the selectors have been swapping and changing the test team way too much. 16 of the last 27 players to debut for Australia haven't played 5 tests which shows guys are getting a couple of games then getting kicked out of the team. Poor selection in my opinion. Yet Mitch Marsh has had 30 tests for a massive average of 26.