Will Pucovski must play Test cricket this summer

Band, meet wagon.

No! Stop picking on "potential". Pick on results. The test team is where people who get results go to see if they can step up to even better results.

I must confess I've never understood this 'need' to identify young prodigies and get them into teams ASAP. Pucovski doesn't 'need' to play Tests this summer. There was a comment on the Game of Codes article today which reckoned that he's passed 50 5 times since his call up to the squad vs SL; of his other 11 innings, however, he's only passed 30 once. He's clearly got the talent but is that really enough to displace players who have scored Test tons? Let him play at least one full Shield season, if not more; if he's as good as he's meant to be he'll still be there putting up the numbers by then. He's still only 21. If you give him, say, another two years, he'll still only be 23 - easily enough time for a 10+ year Test career. Why rush him in at the expense of current players whose treatment by the selectors belie their strong records, when history suggests he's more likely to fail and flounder than succeed at this stage?

Agree with Head. Wade had two centuries o/s; surely a new replacement must then score at least 3 in home conditions to justify replacing him? All things being equal with the other "contenders", I'd be playing Burns First Test simply because it's at the Gabba and he has Test experience; no reason he couldn't bat 5 if other openers were chosen. Totally agree with your last point; if we had 4 or 5 settled bats then a FC-inexperienced debutant could perhaps settle in, learn and build. However at present, it's more likely we'd need him to almost take on a senior role from the get go.

I’d just like to see us reward good performances (whether at test or Shield level). Head is averaging 42 after 12 tests (half overseas). Burns and Patterson made tons in their last test matches and have been averaging over 40 in Shield cricket for multiple seasons. They’ve all been pretty harshly treated at one point or another this year. Pucovski has shown immense talent but not over any significant period. Even his 15 first class matches have been broken up by a bout of mental demons. I’d like to see him string some games together first. Ponting and Clarke were both picked on their obvious talent too, but if you look at the sides they played in then it was clear that the selectors could afford to pick on potential. In the early part of his career, Ponting lined up with Taylor, Slater, Boon and the Waugh Brothers, while Clarke rubbed shoulders with Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Katich, Martyn and Gilchrist. At present, we’ve only got two locks in our batting order and one of them has played 9 tests with an average of 37.5. It’s not really the right sort of environment in which to introduce a 15-gamer who has a record of mental struggles, no matter how much promise he has.

Burns Warner Labs Smith Head Wade Paine Cummins Starc Lyon Hazlewood Burns deserves a decent run and I hope he finally gets it. Wade scored two hundreds in an Ashes series away from home. Would be very stiff to not be there in the first test. Pucovski is obviously a talent but I don't see the need to rush him into the side especially when it will most likely be at the expense of Head who's our VC and averages 40+. His mental health issues need to be taken into account to. If he's not in the right head space it would be very unfair on him to throw him into Test cricket.

Excellently put, Jeff. Great recent examples, particularly Renshaw and Cartwright. Maddinson too.

Chris Rogers is a good example, Jero, of a player getting picked early(ish), having a poor start in Tests then being banished for 7 years because after his initial introduction as was labelled as not being Test-standard. Same happened to Damien Martyn and to a lesser extent Justin Langer. Matt Renshaw is the contemporary example; identified as a "prodigy" after 11 FC games and the experience seems to have had quite a negative impact on his form since. Hilton Cartwright has spoken about the huge come down of getting selected for Australia, then feeling he needed to change technique to adjust at the higher level which caused his returns and form to fall away and has struggled hugely since. Like you say, there's lots of players with 30, 40, 50+ FC games behind them who could fill the available spots in the Test side this season.

Would have thought that the best thing to do "now" is to pick the best team that's available "now". I'd hazard that most would prefer a winning Dad's Army to a losing 'Building For The Future' side.

Not sure he has to play Test Cricket this summer, but it’s probably a good starting point. Considering the form of Wade & Head and Mitch Dumb Dumb using his fist better than his bat, I can’t see how it would hurt to give him a taste. If he can make another hundred in next round of Shield he might just get there

Would love to see him in there!

Sure, most people including me would agree that Shaun has had his turn. But your article is about Pucovski, who is currently vying for a spot alongside Shaun. Not to mention also Head, Khawaja, Wade etc. As I’ve said, I wouldn’t put Shaun in the XI either ahead of Wade, who I think lays claim to a middle order spot. However I would sooner Shaun play a swansong final domestic Test summer than see Pucovski start a year too soon, in case he’s not ready. As things stand, not many players are performing consistently, based upon a small sample size of recent red ball innings. Therefore like it or not, Shaun will be taken seriously for a middle order spot, especially if he goes well again in the next Shield game while others haven’t got going. As I see it, they have spent the last year looking elsewhere for new blood, in Labuschagne, Harris, Head and Bancroft, and recycled blood in Finch and Wade. Not all of it’s come off, but enough to think that there are players who can get the job done while Pucovski prepares for when the time is right, not may be right. Maybe Maddinson will be ready for another go in the interim.

First things first. There’s no reason for thinking that he “must” play Test cricket this summer. It’s that sort of inflated expectation which risks doing more harm than good by rushing things. It’s unclear whether he’s really worked his own game out at first class level, and he hasn’t had the opportunity to earn his own self-belief by truly establishing himself at domestic level. Learning on the job at Test level could really backfire, and undermine rather than boost his self-confidence. Especially in a weak batting team. There are all sorts of unnecessary hurdles you can put in front of him, by being impatient. He’s got plenty of time to get it right, so let him. I have no problem picking him if he’s ready, but it’s too early to say. Guys like Hussey, Rogers, Voges and Ryan Harris really blossomed later in their careers. Who knows, maybe even Shaun will………… Given that it’s a genuine possibility that he’ll make the squad, I’m going to back flip on my previous position and say that at this stage in a two horse race I’d go with Shaun over Pucovski, though wouldn’t be pulling Wade out for either of them at spot 5 in the XI. I think Stoinis will play at 6.

"He is currently in great form" Gee Matt, I don't often disagree 100% with articles, but I do with this one. "He's currently in great form", "he's dominated with the bat in the early rounds of the Shield". I feel like we are watching two different players in two different competitions. 1) He has never come close to playing a full season of FC cricket 2) He has only played 15 FC matches 3) This season he has made one century in a game where there were 6 century makers from 12 dismissed batsmen, with a game total of 1200+ runs (I'm sure I don't need to elaborate on that match), but did so at a much slower rate than his team mates. Yes he valued his wicket, but his slow rate wasn't for lack of trying. 4) Against WA he was very slow and looked all at sea IMO; 64 at a SR of 50 1st innings and 2 from 24 2nd innings, contributing to a WA victory that shouldn't have happened. Great to "put value on ones wicket", but he actually couldn't get the bowlers away and that does not bode well for a step up to Test level. Now, perhaps the "he must play this summer" approach has merit IF he scores runs consistently and with confidence across remaining Shield games till December and then gets selected in Tests against NZ, but at this stage there is nothing that makes him a must-select proposition for mine. "The selectors have too often failed to give new players an opportunity to prove themselves ready for Test cricket" I'd argue that exactly the opposite of this has been one of the major issues with Australian Test selections in the last few years. SO many players have been given an opportunity, it makes you wonder how low the benchmark is in those players opinions in order to be selected for Tests for Australia. It's been a merry-go-round.

No, i reckon it would bit too early given the problem he faced. I don't think he has any problem technically except the short ball. I would want him to spend 2 more years in domestic cricket before test cricket. In the meantime, instead of only searching for prodigies,it's time for Australian coaches to show their values too. Renshaw, Bancroft & Handscomb is 3 batsman with excellent temperament for test cricket but has been exposed technically. If Aussie coaches can get them fixed ,test team can have a world beating batting line with already world beating bowling line up.