Marcus Stoinis’ elevation to the Australian squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka on Friday suggests the selectors may mistakenly believe they need an extra bowler on an expected flat Canberra pitch.
The fact BBL gun Stoinis was taken away from the Melbourne Stars at a crucial stage of that marquee T20 tournament makes me believe he must be a strong chance to make his Test debut.
Yet Australia already have a player in Marnus Labuschagne who came back into the Test batting lineup just a few weeks ago in part because of the bowling ability he offered.
None of the Australian top six that helped Australia earn a massive win in the first Test deserve to be dropped just to accommodate yet another extra bowling option. Particularly when you consider Stoinis has averaged just 24 with the bat across the past three Sheffield Shield seasons.
In that period Stoinis has reached 50 just three times in 31 Shield innings, further underscoring how little he has contributed with the bat. Three years ago Stoinis was a viable Test option, having made 1,768 runs at 44 across the Sheffield Shield seasons of 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.
At that stage he was flourishing for Victoria as a specialist top-order batsman. Then Stoinis began playing limited overs cricket for Australia, became an all-rounder and his batting returns in the Shield plummeted.
Marcus Stoinis smashed records, but it was not enough to get Australia the win. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)
It must be said that his bowling has improved markedly in that same period, with Stoinis taking 27 wickets at 35 in the past three Shield seasons. He has also been in fantastic form with the ball in ODIs, with 14 wickets at 23 from his past seven matches.
Stoinis has improved his seam bowling to the point he is no longer a rank part-timer and I believe he could do a solid job as a fifth bowler in Tests. But, as mentioned above, Australia already have plenty of bowling options in their current Test XI.
It would be a major mistake for Australia to drop any member of their current top six. Victorian opener Marcus Harris has made a good start to his Test career, averaging 38 from five Tests and doing a fine job of consistently weathering the new ball period.
He must be persisted with, and the same goes for his batting partner Joe Burns. The Queenslander may well be the man to make way if Stoinis comes into the Australian team, with first drop Usman Khawaja moving up to open with Harris.
If that happened it would, quite incredibly, be the fifth time that Burns had been dropped from the Test team in the space of his 15-match career. That would be disgraceful treatment for a batsman who is consistently effective in the Shield and has three Test tons to his name.
Joe Burns during a Test match. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Khawaja, surely, could not be dropped either considering he is the only member of Australia’s current top six who could be considered an experienced Test batsman. While his form this summer has been poor Australia are a far better Test lineup when Khawaja is in form and he deserves the second Test to try to rediscover touch.
It would also be unwise to drop either of numbers four or five in the batting lineup – Labuschagne and Travis Head – after their impressive displays at Brisbane. The 166-run stand between Head (84) and Labuschagne (81) effectively batted Sri Lanka out of that Test.
At the time Australia were 4-82 and looking shaky, with Sri Lanka’s quicks swinging the ball prodigiously.
The only other player who could realistically make way for Stoinis would be specialist batsman Kurtis Patterson, who made his Test debut at Brisbane. In his only innings Patterson looked assured in making 30 from 82 balls in the evening session against a hooping new ball, and also fielded outstandingly well.
It would be folly to axe him just to accommodate an all-rounder in Stoinis who has such poor Shield numbers.
Yet the Australian selectors have made so many odd selections in recent times that I have an uneasy feeling Stoinis may be about to squeeze his way into the Test XI.
pakistanstar
Roar Rookie
There's been a few freebie baggy greens given out in the past couple of years (Finch, Head, Labushange, Cartwright, Maddinson) that shouldn't have been so it won't surprise me if Stoinis gets one too. Looks like we've turned into the English side from the 90's where just about anyone got a game in the test side.
Greg Russell
Roar Guru
I haven't made a comment at this site for 7.5 years. I would like to remind Ronan (and readers) that during his two seasons of averaging 17, Stoinis was deeply affected by his father dying of cancer (that is why, between these seasons, he moved from Vic back to WA). A player should not be picked during a form trough due to such issues. But when the personal situation has improved, I believe it is reasonable to ignore the form during the trough. Doing this, one sees in Stoinis a player who has averaged north of 40 for 4 successive Shield seasons, who has looked the part in limited-overs cricket for Australia, who is brimming with confidence, and who has a propensity to "make things happen", as Shane Warne tiresomely (but correctly) reminds us from his comm-box pulpit. So I believe the selection is fair enough. It is not the fault of Stoinis that the Australian selectors have gone about selecting him in a mixed-up way that has unfairly caused confusion in other players brought in in the meantime - really Stoinis should have been brought in for the MCG test against India rather than Mitch Marsh. Incidentally, my point above is probably relevant for Usman Khawaja, whose family problems this summer are well documented. There might be a case for giving him a break, but then not holding his poor form this summer against him once his family situation has settled down.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Ashley Nudger, I don't recall opining that Cummins should have a rest "at the start of summer". After the Indian series 'Yes', but not "at the start of summer". Why would I when he'd had a good series v RSA. 22w @ 21.4 suggests that you're mistaken. Maybe you had a "common sense" lapse?
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
re The Haddin Alternative: Almost anybody. Chris Hartley, widely accepted as the best keeper in the Shield. Young Tim Paine even. Picking a debutant keeper/stopper who's 31 years old is unusual. As an ex-trundler, I'm uncontrollably biased on this batsman/stopper Vs keeper issue. Watching the batsman/stopper miss chances off your bowling that a keeper would have taken does that. And I do recall Haydos. Well. He was as similar to P Hughes as a Maserati is to a Suzuki Swift. re Haydos's "embarrassing" bowled. Would that be the Boxing Day Test 0f 1996 you're referring to? I had the misfortune to be there for that game. The one that left me two full days to do the Boxing Day sales in Bleaktown. Hint hint.
josso
Guest
A blindfolded Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd would do a much better job picking an Australian XI. The selectors are really searching in the dark for miracles - MMarsh, Labuschagne, Handscombe, Stoinis, Finch, Siddle, Doggett, and one could argue Head and Harris. “MMarsh averages 20 odd, but I’ve got a great idea ,let’s bat him at 4”... “ML averages 33 lets bat him 3, that’ll work” ... “Siddle hasn’t played an ODI in 8 years, but why don’t we give him a bowl in the canary yellows, the Indians will be shaking in their boots” ...
Cadfael
Roar Guru
My mistake, did well in the Shield,sadly what we see is his efforts in the hit and giggle which weren't great followed by the CA XI and test
Nudge
Roar Rookie
Yep for all 4. And yep, they have to do something about programming. Maxwell is in the same boat. And it would have been good for Richardson to get a couple more shield games in as well.
Peter Warrington
Guest
Maddinson's big ton earlier in the season to back up his pretty good hitting over seasons for the Sixers maybe shows that the penny is dropping. He is only just 27. he may be back. there isn't much between he and Head on the record, but one has an insiders head and one a "mad dog" moustache.
Perter Warrington
Guest
give Stoinis a go opening in the test and see what he can do. if he is even 75% as good as Watson was at his best, it's a win.
Peter Warrington
Guest
After SA, Burns must know the tolerance for him is different than for the younger guys. Despite that, he has played 3 terrible flashes outside off since being recalled. he really couldn't blame anyone but himself were he to be dropped.
Daniel Buchanan
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the commentary. Out of interest, who would you have picked as keeper when Haddin was in the side? I can't recall anyone who would have got the gig over him on keeping alone, but may have forgotten someone. The point on Maddinson and others is more about the fact that he history of test cricket shows that very few are able to succeed instantly and maintain that without flat periods. In the last 10-15 years, we seem to have no patience to endure these flat periods, which in my view would be a better way to build the mental strength and resilience required. Hughes showed enough to suggest he would have been a 20+ test hundred player. Yes his technique had deficiencies but you don't score those type of runs at that age without having the strategies and plans to counter those deficiencies. Recall Matthew Hayden when he started out in tests as a similar prodigy, it took him 5-6 years after that trial, highlighted by his embarrassing bowled dismissal against the West Indies, to start on the journey towards greatness in India 2001.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
For all 4? They have to do something about programming.
Nudge
Roar Rookie
You don’t always have to prove your point by using stats qwetzen. Some times there’s no need, you just use common sense. There was no need to go into stats at the start of the summer when you were suggesting Pat Cummins place in the side should be in jeopardy. No stats were needed to show how silly you looked. Everyone understood. You reckon Cummins should make the ashes squad? Lol
Nudge
Roar Rookie
There are 4 shield games, but he will be in India playing one day cricket
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
re “On All-Rounders”: I wonder why the selectors never got lamb basted (late Oz Day gag there) for picking Haddin & Nevill? Neither of whom would have been “selected for either skill in isolation…”. Oh and btw. Pick’n’stick is a ridiculous policy. Especially for non-performing and technically flawed batsmen like Hughes. And quoting Maddinson as someone “damaged and cruelled” by selectors does your argument no good. A proven mediocrity in the Shield, he now owns a BG, something that shedloads of far more deserving players don’t have. Maddinson’s SS completed seasons’ averages, beginning from 2010/11: 39.7, 30.1, 35.5, 27.3, 53.7, 30.5, 33.8 & 24.4.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
I have the same prob on the pc. Try clicking on the Edit button (if there is one) after you send it. This works on my pc.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Couple of things here Nudger old sock. 1. Which “people” elected you as their spokesperson? Name names! 2. You never present anything to support your opinions. This makes you look an inconsequential duffer, especially when there’s hard evidence against your fanboi opinion.
Cigar Field Sobers
Roar Rookie
Thank you, Mr Knight ! I can't convey how long I've waited for that deluded man to fess up that you don't really need an all-rounder in the side, just because you can. And in spite of dropping Marsh, M, they sort of implied that Labu would have bowling requirements as well as batting at #3. Why not crank up the pressure on the poor bloke by making him captain as well ? Honestly, you could forgive some of their drunken weaving selection policies if the resulting justifications had any degree of logic. But so far, nothing....
Nudge
Roar Rookie
Correct.
jameswm
Roar Guru
qwetzen wanted Cummins dropped earlier in the summer,, didn't he?