An exchange between myself and another Roar pundit about the current English Test spinners led Dexter the Hamster to suggest our attack would struggle if anything happened to Nathan Lyon.
He posed the question: how do we get quality spinners into Test cricket?
On the surface, this seems to be quite an innocuous question with several obvious answers. We could bring in Ashton Agar or Adam Zampa, maybe Mitchell Swepson or perhaps not worry about a spinner but play four quicks and try and get a lot more overs from Marnus Labuschagne.
The last option sadly might be the best one, because Labuschagne has the best Test figures of any of these bowlers, which is probably no surprise, given only Ashton Agar has played Test cricket and he’s only played the four games to date.
Labuschagne’s Test figures are also significantly better than both Zampa and Agar’s first-class numbers and only marginally worse (average 38.66) than Mitchell Swepson (average 35.68).
What then do we need to do to get at least one spinner ready to slot into the Test side?
Cricket Australia (CA) has done something to help spinners by removing the use of Dukes balls for part of the Shield season. This should encourage spinners to not only be chosen but to be bowled for more than a handful of overs.
Shane Warne the cricket commentator is often forgettable, but when he talks about spin bowling, nearly everything he has to say is pure gold.
(Hamish Blair/Getty Images)
Last summer he talked about the difference between bowling in white-ball formats versus bowling with a red ball. He talked about bowling plans for Tests that could take overs to come to fruition, but in the meantime, the spinner has to keep applying pressure, often through bowling similar deliveries, ball after ball.
White-ball cricket demands far more variation from a spinner because as Warne said, if a spinner bowls two deliveries that are the same, back to back, the second one is likely to go the distance, especially in T20 cricket.
The main factor he talked about was patience for red-ball spinners, which is something spinners can learn. He also suggested that the gulf between a successful short-format spinner versus a first-class spinner was significant and felt young spinners probably had to make a choice between the different formats because trying to bowl both forms of the game was incredibly difficult.
If we look at look at Zampa and Agar in terms of ability, they’re clearly very capable spinners. Both are ranked in the world’s top five in the T20 format, but their first-class numbers suggest they’d seriously struggle to make an impact at Test level.
Assuming Australia needs a short-term replacement for Lyon, I’d suggest looking elsewhere and allowing Zampa and Agar to focus on maintaining their form in white-ball cricket.
Asking them to adapt their skills to Tests might cause them to lose form and confidence, which would not bode well given the upcoming T20 World Cup in India.
All things being equal though, Nathan Lyon should have at least two or three seasons in him, which should give Cricket Australia time to groom at least a couple of suitable replacements.
CA should ask all states and territories to provide players who might make good first-class spinners. These players would attend a training camp, where they’d be put through a battery of tests that are designed to assess whether they have what it takes to be a good red-ball spinner. The assessment team should include Shane Warne and as many top-class ex-Test spinners from around the world as CA could afford to bring to Australia.
Once the field is whittled down, they would receive ongoing tutelage from some or all of these former players, with one being an ongoing mentor. CA then works with those players’ clubs and states to map out a plan to give each player maximum opportunities to bowl, preferably at first-class batsmen, but only if they’re bowling well enough to earn a place in teams on merit.
That plan cannot include any white-ball cricket while the bowler is under development. If Warne’s right and learning how to bowl in Tests is as tough as he says, then having a bowler chopping and changing formats will not benefit them at all.
Warne suggested a couple of other ideas. One was to make sure spinners were chosen for all Shield teams, but surely that depends on the quality of the spinner. It’s counter-productive to bring a player into a team if they’re not good enough at their craft to be there.
Where is the next Nathan Lyon coming from? (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
His other suggestion was to get rid of drop-in pitches but that’s also not going to fly. The better option at state level is to only play first-class games at venues where a highly experienced curator can oversee preparation and make sure the pitch will offer something for the spinner.
The idea of taking Shield games away from Test locations to all sorts of venues is good in one way, but in terms of pitch preparation, it doesn’t do spinners any favours. Some pitches in recent times like Junction Oval or Drummoyne have either been complete roads or favourable to fast bowlers.
We’ve got plenty of batsmen who can score runs when the ball’s not moving a millimetre and a plethora of terrific quicks. What we need are pitches that challenge batsmen against turning deliveries and the same pitches will help hone spinners’ skills.
Beau Casson, Cameron White, Jason Krejza, Bryce McGain, Xavier Doherty and Michael Beer are some of the spinners who Australian selectors tried as replacements for Shane Warne, before finally settling on Nathan Lyon.
Cricket Australia should have learnt from that and should have been developing spinners in anticipation of Nathan Lyon’s retirement.
Perhaps they assumed Agar, Zampa or Swepson would somehow transform from a bowler averaging in the high 30s per wicket with matching high strike rates into a genuine Test quality bowler.
Maybe they’re happy to play the same game as they did with the bowlers mentioned above: give them a few Tests, see how they go, then move onto the next bowler until we stumble across a bloke who maybe might just cut it at Test level.
The reality is red-ball bowling is different from white-ball bowling. Finding a spinner capable of bowling well enough to be a member of our Test side is becoming increasing harder, with the proliferation of white-ball tournaments and the big money that a top-line bowler can earn just for rolling over their arm for four overs per match.
There’s still time for CA to do something about this issue, but it needs to happen soon. Lyon won’t last forever and if he goes without a decent replacement standing by, our position as a premier Test cricket nation would be in serious trouble.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Sorry to hear that Rowdy ... real sorry. The roar seems to be refusing to post my original reply. Some principals are nasty as. They don't seem to care when they destroy people's lives.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Goodness that is terrible. Sorry to hear that. It was also a very negative experience with a mongrel of a principal that made me downscale to relief teaching. I am lucky to live somewhere with 30 odd high schools within an hour of my house. So it's nearly full time. No real prospects for whole new career in mid to late 40s.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I was accused of bashing a student. Despite a Teacher’s Aid and the 8 procured student statements saying l had done no wrong the female dog, masquerading as a Principal (without principles), said l had. She needed a scalp to appease a militant feminist mother in association with the boy’s emasculated father. —– 3 years ago, October the 9th.
Micko
Roar Rookie
NZ has better spinners, but just don’t pick them. :thumbdown: Kane Williamson and the dud coach like Santner as a defenisve spinner: completely the wrong attitude for Test cricket.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
What made you stop teaching Rowdy? I quit full time permanent nearly 2 years ago and switched to casual relief. Much less stress for me.
Paul
Roar Guru
I agree. If he's still bowling as well then as he has been in recent seasons and still enjoying his cricket, more power to him.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
As long as he keeps giving the ball air l don't care if he's still playing at 45.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I’d also say that teacher’s are too benign in their approach to their interactions with students. I coached Australian Football at a school in a very Rugby League area. I got a team together because l was contentious and belligerent with them over what the best footy was. What? You get to keep the ball when tackled????. Incredulous, I’d say, “what a socialist game!” Plus l was hard on em in the timber and metal rooms. They knew l was fair and supportive. —– They had a RU coach as well but AF had more at training esp as they got knocked out sooner. We were area champions 4 of the 8 years l was there. The cricket coach was the same as me. Our front-foot attitude had the kids winning more than their fair share. I also inculcated them in the history and folklore of the both sports and Soccer for that matter. I run into these kids every so often and they shout me drinks or coffee. A small majority of teachers present as small targets. —– I think Post-Modernism is a blight.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
There is those lids who love sport but they are in the minority. I was referring to the designated weekly 2 hours of sport mandated by the NSW (alleged) Education Dept.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Unusual school Rowdy. In the 45 years I've been teaching, kids who love sport actually live and breathe it, often to the detriment of academic studies. I'll grant you that the proportion of sports lovers is less, but the population is greater. What has died is the club culture. That is directly proportional to the lack of young coaches still playing seniors who are prepared to coach the kids teams. Why has that happened? Working With Children checks. Not every 20-30 yo wants to pay for a check that will reveal a misbehaviour glitch to their club. They just don't go through the hassle, despite the fact they would be ideal and are perfectly safe.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
The abstract issue is kids. I taught high school 2001-17 and the attitude to hard work and application to task is not what it used to be. —– Look at tennis courts in high schools if you can find em. I’d take kids for Cricket, Aussie, Tennis, etc. Getting em out on the park to play weekly sport was like pulling molars out of a pig. Too cold at 25°C, too hot at 29°C. I got em out there alright and they hated me for it. Some found they enjoyed it after the intial protestations. —— So there are kids out there with potential but electronica and the abysmal standard of parenting contribute to this malaise. And I know what that is like having been born into a white trash family in a very bogan suburb. And then of course there is drugs. I know l wasted my talents between 15 and 21 because of this issue. —— I’d be in trouble for telling kids to tackle hard in Aussie or having em play cricket or tennis in 37°C. No wonder we are softsox.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
Spinners seem to do Ok at grade level but really struggle once they get to the Shield. Maybe we need at least one genuine spinners deck in the mix. The SCG is supposed to spin but whatever is there seems pretty slow. I reckon they should work on that and give our spinners at least one goodish deck to play on. .. Also, Lyon is pretty damn good. He really is our GOAT off spinner. By a country mile in my book. Just cooking up another Lyon will prove to be as difficult as the next Warne imo.
Rob
Guest
It seems to be a habit with Australian cricket to not find or train spinners. Who was the best spinner...(offie, leggie, it doesn't matter) that Australia had before Warne came along? Well, to my mind that would have been Bruce Yardley who retired in 1983. Between his international departure and Warne's arrival in early 1992 Australia went through Bright, Hogan, Sleep, May, Matthews, Bennett, Holland, Hohns and Peter Taylor all with limited success. Almost one a year. Why go through so many? Because just like today, there is no official training for spinners and there is no succession plan. Warne had to go find Terry Jenner for mentorship. There was no one at the international or state level to guide him officially. So, where does Australia go from here? It will do what it has always done...and wait for the next great spinner to drop out of the sky or appear out of the blue.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
That’s a great idea. The state associations would hence start directing clubs around the capital cities to play genuine spinners and use them. Incorporate it with my own idea of grade cricket teams getting bonus points for wickets taken by spinners.
Brian
Guest
Sad none of the Top 10 bowlers per the ICC rankings are spinners. Ashwin is 12th. Lyon is 2nd highest at 16th. Worse is that to find someone under 30 I had to go to 25th placed Bangladeshi Taijul Islam who I have never heard of before
DJM
Roar Rookie
By the way, it’s eminently possible. I umpired a grade game last year where a team with two spinners and a couple of quicks bowled 97 overs in 280 minutes.
Chris Love
Guest
“ The better option at state level is to only play first-class games at venues where a highly experienced curator can oversee preparation and make sure the pitch will offer something for the spinner.” This! I’ve been saying it for years. Since we went away from grounds having their own unique surfaces and more and more the wickets being prepared towards lasting 5 days as the first priority we see less and less spin friendly wickets. No wonder we struggle to unearth quality spinners and struggle on the sub-continent
DJM
Roar Rookie
One left field suggestion is that you increase the number of overs bowled in a day in Sheffield Shield to, say, 105, with heavy penalties for non compliance. That way sides will have to play spinners.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Spruce Moose at least us Saffas have Maharaj... Geez for decades we had absolutely no spinner.. Zip.. Dunno why... Maybe chicks don't dig spinners so everyone wants to bowl fast. :happy:
Nick
Roar Guru
This is not an issue limited to Australia. Even India is going to have a bit of an issue. There's no ready made replacement for Ashwin, and frankly Ashwin is a passenger outside of India. Sri Lanka doesn't have anyone capable. Bangladesh haven't got a successor to Shakib. Pakistan rely on an aging Yasir Shah. NZ saw the devastating limitations with Mitchell Santner. West Indies have a man the size of a fridge as their arm turner. South Africa have Maharaj who is so-so. England...Dom Bess...he's young, but not exactly showing much in the way of match turning potential either. Quite sad actually.