Greg Chappell will relinquish his position on the national selection panel when his current contract expires in September.
He has seen the writing on the wall: Trevor Hohns admitted last month that “everything is up for review” in the face of questioning from a media scrum that admires England’s progressive approach to selecting its selectors.
The ECB revamped their panel by appointing 28-year-old former batsman James Taylor to it full-time last July. The thinking is that Taylor, not long out of the game, has his ear to the ground – he’s had recent, tangible experience as a cog in the current English cricket machine and has played either with or against most of the players he’ll be choosing from.
He can relate to their plights and help bridge the generational divide so often present between current players and the ones long retired who are hanging onto a role in the sport they can’t let go of.
Whether Chappell sees the bumbling mess made by his selection panel this summer for what it is, however, only he could say.
In November, they ended Aaron Finch’s Test career before it began, asking him to open the batting for his country despite not being trusted to do the same for his State.
When it all went pear-shaped, he was cut loose before being given a single chance in the middle order, where he whacks them for Victoria. Then, a blistering summer of batting from Matthew Wade was denied a squad spot by the same selectors because “it would be nice to see him bat a little higher up for Tasmania.”
It’s this perpetual shifting of the goalposts that must drive fringe players up the wall. One player is picked but played in a foreign role, yet another won’t be looked at because he’s batting a spot or two lower in the middle order than they’d like.
Aaron Finch may well just not be up to it as a Test cricketer, but he’d feel rightly aggrieved that the only opportunity he’s been given to prove himself as one was in unchartered waters against a sizzling Jasprit Bumrah-led new-ball cartel.
Another name to add to the list of mismanaged Victorians already featuring Finch, Glenn Maxwell and Brad Hodge over the trip, is William Pucovski.
Pucovski’s situation is uniquely delicate. At barely 20-years-old, he’s talent-laden but has twice been badged by short balls which have caused his brain to rattle around inside his skull.
More recently, he spent six weeks away from the game to deal with mental health concerns that had him struggling to get out of bed. If there’s ever a player who deserves to have a dot on every ‘I’ and cross on every ‘T’ when it comes to his management, it’s Will.
But when he was flung into the Test squad for the Sri Lankan series, just one game into his return, it stunk from the outside of the result of a, “G’day mate, how ya feelin’?”, “Yeah good”, “You’re in” kind of scenario.
Still, at that stage, you could’ve afforded the selectors the benefit of the doubt. Then Kurtis Patterson happened, his twin tons leaving Pucovski to run the drinks in Brisbane despite his family flying in to watch him and Tim Paine singing his praises in a newspaper column in the lead-up.
It must surely be the case that Pucovski’s situation calls for stability when in any doubt, which doesn’t equate to the promise of reaching a life-long boyhood dream and the subsequent ripping of the carpet out from under him when the wind changes.
At the very least, the Pucovski fanfare should have been stifled if there was any possibility of someone jumping the queue.
Realistically, he shouldn’t have even been considered in the first place. Now, Will’s chosen to return home early to continue managing the condition that he’d been receiving ongoing treatment for in Melbourne before he was picked.
And under no circumstances should the team’s success against Sri Lanka serve to justify the circus that’s preceded it. When a batting line-up that goes an entire year without scoring more than one century suddenly knocks out three in an innings, you’re probably better off looking at the other end of the pitch for answers as to how and why.
Joe Burns and Patterson have booked their tickets to England, but who’s to say Finch wouldn’t have done the same if brought in after the Indian series to beat up on this attack?
When Jimmy Anderson trundles in under the clouds at Edgbaston, there’ll be the same, if not more, unanswered questions than when we began this dismal summer.
Spanner
Roar Rookie
It's a paid position in which one travels the world and watches cricket, Q - do it properly or get out !
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Good points. A pity Chappell is known more today for patchy stints as national selector and coach of India, whereas he should have renown as clearly Australia’s second greatest batsman ever, ahead of Ponting or Smith, when you look at the strength of bowling he was up against, particularly the Windies. You missed the two most absurd selections- Labuschagne and Stoinis. Idiotic in the extreme. Stupid to pick Finch on the basis of ODI form in the first place, but playing him at opener with a first-class average of 18 was inviting failure. Wade wasn’t an obvious pick, however, just because of one good season.
Rick Wallaby
Roar Rookie
Errr.. I’m reading relinquishing his role on National Selection Panel. Nothing about CA National Talent Manager role. Have i missed something?
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Just like playing form, you're only as good as your last match and you can discount the Sri Lankan series if you like, but all cricket fans know there's an Australian domestic season, but nver has been an International season. Test cricket rolls from one series to the next - one country to the next. The selection and treatment of Finch is baffling and a selection mistake. It's a long bow to blame them for the Indian series as a whole though. CA bent over to the World No 1 Test nation and allowed them to dictate where and when Tests would be played in Australia. India should have beaten Australia, not just because we were without our 2 most accomplished batsmen, but as World No 1, they had to prove that rating wasn't just predicated on home form. Once they were allowed to veto a first up Perth Test and a Day/Night Test (even though CA had previously touted D/N Tests as the future saviour of Test Cricket), then India had the schedule designed around their desire. The selectors also can't be blamed for trying to fill a side for tests when CA has changed the domestic format to go after quick cash with hit and giggle for the 2 months when Australia has always played home Tests. As for the non selection of an in form Pucovski, for Patterson; if Australia didn't play an inform young player because they debuted another inform young player, then I'd suggest the selectors have succeeded rather than failed. As I said earlier you can dismiss the Sri Lankan series as a joke, but the future of Test cricket is about all nations playing each other, regardless of the strength of individual nations as they rebuild. The fact Patterson made a ton should excite and gladden you for the future of Australian cricket.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Graham McKenzie had the best bowling action of all.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Your fabulous whinge would have more credibility (it'd have to) if you; 1. Didn't focus solely on Dictorians. (Wade has played more for them than Tassie). Brad Hodge?? Crikey! I'm surprised you didn't include Jack Ryder getting punted when he was a selector in 1930. 2. Realised, like the Langer bashers need to, that there are actually three selectors. 3. Didn't use the pom James Taylor as your ideal alternative. Windies 2 - Pomgolia flogged ring any bells? Being a selector is a horrible job. Don't knock it until you've tried it.
Tom Simon
Roar Pro
“It’s this perpetual shifting of the goalposts that must drive fringe players up the wall. One player is picked but played in a foreign role, yet another won’t be looked at because he’s batting a spot or two lower in the middle order than they’d like.” Completely agree with regards to not explaining selections. Using a type of discount rate depending on the opposition or the number in the order you bat is farcical. Will they compare Burns’ runs against Sri Lanka equally against Harris’ runs across the summer against India when picking the Ashes line-up? One scored 180 when the team needed him, the other consistently threw away promising starts against both India and Sri Lanka. Hundreds win matches, and should get you selected, regardless of the opposition. Similarly, Wade has 571 @ 63.44 this summer in the Shield on the hardest wicket to bat in Australia. When you come in on a green seamer at 4/nothing each time you bat, surely that works in your favour and not against? Unfortunately Chappell’s changes re pathway systems, Futures League replacing State 2nd XI cricket, promoting youth and driving older players out of the system has been detrimental to the health of the Australian cricket system in producing high quality, hardened professional players. All selectors/administrators have an agenda, Chappell’s was clear for all to see.
Spanner
Roar Rookie
Totally agree !
Spanner
Roar Rookie
Wonderfully worded Doc. The most harmful has been his dismissal of district and shield cricket, in favour of promoting the " young guns". His legacy will take some time to be erased ! (and I loved him as a barsman, also)
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Now THAT is a good question. It was hard, nobody moved like Holding.. Thinking about it, Imran, Lillee, Brett Lee, Patrick Patterson, Ambrose....I smell an article coming on...
Spanner
Roar Rookie
Spot on Richard - exquisite batsman but terrible selector and before that, state coach. He set South Aussie cricket back years and we have never fully recovered
Richard Islip
Roar Rookie
Nothing to apologize for, Denam, not to anyone. You were spot on re Pucovski. Chappell's past record as a selector ( and especially his batting) has zero to do with the current mess. He is past it.
Richard Islip
Roar Rookie
Fine article, and especially well said about Pucovski. I believe the entire selection panel should be booted, because of the appalling way he was mishandled, given the nature of the health issues.
Matt H
Roar Guru
With David Gower as well, flakey but so elegant What about bowlers, Michael Holding obviously.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Ooohhhh... you heritic you. Was there anything more beautiful than Mark Waugh in full graceful flight? lol.. Can't really disagree actually. I'm sure those two along with Lawrence Rowe and Zaheer Abbas will be padding up for the Angel's XI in the Eternal Test...
anon
Roar Pro
The Indian bowlers weren't exactly the West Indies of the 1980's. 3 of our 6 batsmen (Finch, S Marsh, M Marsh ) weren't Test standard batsman. Not only that but their form was woeful. We were literally playing with at most 3 Test standard batsmen. Khawaja also had terrible form, Labuschagne didn't deserve a spot. The selectors were dragged kicking and screaming into picking players who had been solid in the Shield. The players they were forced into picking basically performed.
Andre Leslie
Roar Guru
Woah! Tough.. but fair.
Matt H
Roar Guru
"When a batting line-up that goes an entire year without scoring more than one century suddenly knocks out three in an innings, you’re probably better off looking at the other end of the pitch for answers as to how and why." True, but you also might consider that of those three centuries, two were scored by batsmen with career averages over 40 that were overlooked for most of the summer. So I would say you could look at both ends.
Matt H
Roar Guru
He still has claims (along with Border, Waugh and Ponting) to be our second greatest batsman. the best on drive I've ever seen (with apologies to Mark Waugh).
Barney
Roar Rookie
We were rating ‘over the summer’, so yes I watched over the summer not the last few weeks as you appeared to.