While Australia’s insistence on a seam-bowling option in the top six has wisely been toned down under Justin Langer, selectors have still looked to include an all-rounder.
The much-maligned Mitchell Marsh has played four Tests under the Western Australian coach – two against Pakistan in the UAE by virtue of incumbency, one on a flat MCG wicket, and one at the end of a tiring English World Cup and Ashes summer.
Rightly or wrongly, therefore, selectors still look to pick a fifth bowler in batter-friendly conditions, or at the end of a busy stretch of cricket, in which frontline bowlers have endured a heavy workload.
In most circumstances, Marnus Labuschagne’s part-time leg-spin is satisfactory to fill the void, with Australia’s quality bowling attack requiring little support.
However, Labuschagne cannot be considered a genuine all-rounder.
A Test record of ten wickets at 40.3 isn’t terrible for a part-time bowler, but his numbers are skewed by an impressive debut series with the ball in the UAE.
In that series, the Queenslander took seven wickets at 22.42, but has since taken just three wickets at 82, and has conceded 95 runs per wicket on Australian soil.
It is an admittedly small sample size, however Labuschagne’s first-class record of 56 wickets at 43.19 does little to suggest he is a genuine tweaker. Still, Labuschagne’s bowling, coupled with that of part-timers Steve Smith and Travis Head, will usually be enough for Australia.
Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images
But at some point the selectors are bound to want an all-rounder in the side.
The final two Tests of the summer, in Melbourne and Sydney, loom as candidates.
The MCG pitch has been notoriously flat for some years, although the abandonment of a recent Sheffield Shield game at the venue, due to unsafe bounce, suggests the wicket may have life in it.
In an effort to avoid a repeat of the dangerous Shield pitch, curator Matthew Page may prepare a flatter deck for Boxing Day, thus making an all-rounder a distinct possibility.
Equally, the Sydney Test has become a high-scoring affair in recent years. If talk surrounding a second spinner is to be believed, selectors may go for an all-rounder to provide a third seam-bowling option, in the absence of a third frontline quick.
Given this will be the fifth Test of the summer, bowling fatigue may also be a factor.
While it is far too early to proclaim that an all-rounder will be necessary, it is worth considering who Australia’s first-choice should be.
Since the retirement of Shane Watson, Marsh has been the preferred candidate, but has mostly failed with the bat, averaging just 25.2 in 32 matches.
Despite a mediocre overall record, Marsh’s bowling appears to have improved, with figures of 5-46 and 2-40 at The Oval, on the back of impressive performances in tour matches, including 5-34 in the Hick XII versus Haddin XII intra-squad match.
Whether this is genuine improvement or the result of favourable English conditions remains to be seen, but to his credit, Marsh was clearly the pick of Australia’s bowlers at The Oval.
However, due to a self-inflicted hand injury and an overall poor Test record, Marsh shouldn’t be preferred at this point in time.
So who currently is the best candidate?
The name that immediately springs to mind is Marcus Stoinis, with the Western Australian having kept Marsh on the outskirts of Australia’s white-ball sides recently.
Marcus Stoinis (AAP Image/SNPA, Ross Setford)
Stoinis averages 33.81 with the bat in first-class cricket, marginally more than Marsh’s 32.16, but has an uninspiring 64 wickets at 39.53.
His Sheffield Shield season so far has been solid but not outstanding, averaging 35.77 with four half-centuries, and taking 12 wickets at 27.25.
While Stoinis wouldn’t be a terrible candidate, Australia would certainly incur a loss in the batting department if he were to replace Head at six.
Young Cameron Green has been touted as a potentially world-class all-rounder. Unable to bowl indefinitely however, Green clearly cannot be selected to provide a fifth option.
A spin option is Glenn Maxwell, whose impressive first-class batting average of 39.81 is higher than many who have been picked as specialist batsmen recently, including Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Finch, Head and Labuschagne (at the time they were initially selected).
However, having taken leave to focus on his mental health, Maxwell, like Marsh, has no form to speak of, and would be a risky selection. Plus, conceding 41.22 runs per wicket, the Victorian is hardly a markedly better bowling option than Labuschagne.
Of course, one seemingly forgotten man is quietly carving out an impressive season.
Moises Henriques has scored 453 runs at 56.62, with two centuries, placing him among the best batsmen in the country on current form.
He has bowled just 20 overs, taking two wickets at 31.5, but his overall record highlights his ability to perform the fifth-bowler role, averaging 31 runs per wicket in first-class cricket.
Stoinis may has superior bowling form on his side, but the primary role of a Test six is to bat, and Henriques has Stoinis covered in that department.
Where Marsh’s ordinary batting performances have meant Australia sacrifices some batting to include him as a fifth bowler, the loss of quality with the bat would be negligible were Henriques to be included in Melbourne or Sydney.
In fact, on current form, there isn’t a clear void between Head and the all-rounder with the bat.
Head’s form is hard to gauge, having batted just once against Pakistan. He has averaged a solid 40.2 in three Shield matches this season, but more than half of his runs came in one innings.
Australia will rightly take an unchanged side into the first Test against New Zealand, but should selectors see the need for an all-rounder, Henriques is their man.
After enduring his most challenging summer just two short years ago, for Moises Henriques this summer may well turn out to be his best yet, and what a wonderful story it would be.
Cam
Guest
Can't see Henriques being picked for any test matches in Australia this summer. But he might be in contention to tour to Bangladesh. His FC stats are good and he is in good form with the bat this season. Might need to bowl a bit more in the final SS games. I'm feel like maybe a Henriques can bring that experience to a place like Bangladesh and do well. Has played test cricket over in the Sub Continent. Played lots of FC cricket. State captain. Etc.
Graham Hauritz
Guest
T20 and one day cricket have produced a rash of players who can bat a bit and bowl a bit. We often mistakenly think of these players as test quality allrounders. To my mind, top-quality allrounders are those who could make the team on the strength of either their batting or bowling. Give me a top quality fast bowler that can produce with the bat or a great batsman that can keep things tight with the ball and leave the bits and pieces players for the limited-overs stuff.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I'm not saying he should play at all. Just that he's not really had enough chances at international level to really show anything consistently. His first class returns haven't necessarily justified more chances at international level either, of course. I think the test chances he has got has largely been on the back of the selectors trying to pick players they felt we better players of spin for tours of the sub-continent. There have been a few batsmen picked for those test tours over the years despite having plenty of others with better overall records, simply because they are considered much better players of spin than those other batsmen. Overall, his record hasn't been good enough to justify any more tests. Henriques really was one of those players touted as a future test star as a teenager who just hasn't really been able to convert that potential that many salivated over at the time, into any reality at senior level.
Tight-Head
Roar Rookie
According to the ICC stats starc and Cummins are the 6th and 7th best all rounders in the world (and both are ahead of de Grandhomme) https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/mens/player-rankings/test/all-rounder. If we need an extra bowler why not pick another genuine wicket taking option who can also swing a bat in Pattinson (if he promises to keep his mouth shut)?
David Holden
Roar Guru
I’ve always liked the theory that, to be a top all-rounder, you need to be good enough in batting or bowling to be picked on that alone. I don’t think we have anyone in Australia who fits that description so we shouldn’t be picking one
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Henriques won't get anywhere near the test side. He's had a go in limited overs cricket and not had the temperament there. Has dropped the ball (literally) at some very key moments during his career and the powers that be don't regard him as hard nosed enough for test cricket.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Some are thinking that.
The Bush
Roar Guru
But his batting isn't even any good... He might be doing alright this season, but last season he averaged 34 and the season before that he averaged 24. He had a good season back in 2016-17, but honestly, he's a 32 year old with a career batting average of 35...
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
As many have pointed out, you can't really call Henriques an allrounder anymore. His career bowling stats are pretty good for an allrounder, but over the last few years he really has pretty much stopped bowling and largely become a specialist batsman.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
He's only played four tests and 11 ODI's, so I don't know he's had a chance to show anything consistently at international level. But either way, the fact that he barely bowls these days really does make his career first class bowling stats irrelevant. These days he's just a batsman who can bowl occasionally. That may be all that's needed at test level, but I think he's now at the point where he'd probably need a Voges-esque summer to come close to selection in the test team again.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
When people are talking about an allrounder they are thinking of someone to bat at 6 and bowl some extra overs. Abbott is definitely not that. He's a bowler who's handy with the bat.
matth
Roar Guru
Henriques actually hasn’t bowled that much in recent years, he’s becoming more of a specialist bat as time goes on.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Putting aside the fact that no all-rounder in Australia actually has the stats to suggest they should he picked for the test team, Henriques has shown consistently at Test and ODI level that he isn't up to the task of international cricket. From a domestic perspective, when he used to bowl more, his batting was not up to scratch and whilst his batting has turned a corner, he doesn't bowl any more.
Captain Obvious
Roar Rookie
Is it April 1st again already? How can you make a case for Maxwell, his bowling is barely grade standard. Moises should not be considered either, just not good enough as he has proven in the past.
Bearfax
Roar Guru
I've often wondered why Henriques is ignored as a test all rounder if an all rounder is needed. He has better first class averages than other all round contenders and knows how to tough it out, yet for reasons unexplained he's not even spoken of by the media. Another of those peculiar selection issues probably more to do with politics then talent and performance
Rugbyrah
Roar Rookie
Glenn Maxwell should be our all rounder.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Doesn’t make a good case that Henriques or anyone else is a better fifth bowler option than Labuschagne. If it’s such a road that the main bowlers can’t get a wicket then the chances of these very modest medium pacers doing as well or better are low to say the least. At least Marnus offers a different, spin option and his first class record is as good as any of the others apart from Marsh, who has not been up to it as a batsman. You still have to score more runs than the opposition and if the only logic of the all rounder is to give the main bowlers a rest the chances are high that the runs missed by including a weak batsmen will be greater than any reduction to the opponents’ total.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Strange that you look at Henriques' numbers and try to make a case despite the fact he retired from the bowling crease 3 years ago. It's strange because, on the same batting list, you have an outstanding, genuine bowler who is finally playing the long, run-scoring innings that we have been waiting for. Abbott looks like he is delivering with the bat regularly.
AREH
Roar Guru
The form is present, in short and long forms. But having said that, he still strikes me as someone who probably won't be picked irrespective of what he does from here on.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Marnus is a veteran bowler compared to Moises.