Moises Henriques became an unlikely T20 World Cup candidate while D’Arcy Short again displayed an inability to adapt to international cricket as Australia lost the first T20I to India on Friday.
Only six weeks ago, Henriques’ international career was in deep hibernation. He was 33 years old, hadn’t played for Australia in three years and was no longer really an all-rounder, having rarely bowled at domestic level for several seasons.
In the four years prior to these limited-overs series against India, Henriques played 96 white-ball matches and took an average of just 0.2 wickets per game.
Had he bowled regularly for NSW and the Sydney Sixers in this period, he may well have been in strong contention for international caps in all three formats, given Australia’s endless search for a reliable batting all-rounder.
The lack of competition for this position has allowed Mitch Marsh and Marcus Stoinis to continue representing Australia even amid prolonged form troughs.
It was only injury to both those players that belatedly vaulted Henriques back into the national side and back into his old role as a batsman who bowls. So far, so swell.
Henriques has been highly influential in two of his three appearances against India. In the second ODI, as star quicks Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood together were smashed at 7.4 runs an over, Henriques slowed the Indian charge with 1-34 from seven overs. India’s powerful batting line-up was subdued by his gentle array of cutters and slower balls.
Then, in Friday night’s T20I, he was easily Australia’s best player, producing a brilliant all-round performance. First Henriques took 3-22 from four overs as India again found him difficult to attack. Then he played a smooth middle-order innings of 30 from 20 balls, despite being let down by his batting partner Short’s extremely slow scoring.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
On the international stage, Short cannot conjure the daring and dynamism that makes him such a dominant BBL batsman. In domestic cricket, he backs his ball-striking ability and bullies bowlers. At the highest level, it is Short who appears intimidated. On Friday night, after a brisk start Short inexplicably scored just 21 from his last 32 deliveries.
In doing so, he released the pressure that had built up on India and heaped it on to his batting partners, like Henriques. Short’s knock of 34 from 38 deliveries greatly hindered Australia. They would have been better off had he been dismissed for a golden duck.
This is nothing new for Short – in T20Is he is consistently scoring at a rate so slow that it hurts his team. In Short’s last ten T20Is he has made 181 runs from 189 balls at the glacial strike rate of 95.
Picked as an aggressive strokeplayer, he is instead channelling late-80s Geoff Marsh. In bowling terms, it’s equivalent to picking an express bowler only to watch them send down Henriques-style cutters at 120 km/h.
While Short’s lack of pace is an issue, Henriques’ slow speeds are a plus. Even the world’s best white-ball batsman Virat Kohli has looked stilted against Henriques’ old-school dibbly-dobblers.
Henriques’ vast experience, calm temperament, cricketing smarts and unrelenting accuracy could just make him an effective limited-overs bowler for Australia if he can stay fit.
A medium-pacer of his style could be especially valuable on the lower, slower pitches in India, which is scheduled to host the T20 World Cup in October and November next year. What makes Henriques most attractive as a white-ball cricketer, however, is his composed and powerful batting.
Henriques’ limited bowling workload over the past four years has gifted him time to hone his batting. The results have been stark.
In that time Henriques has cracked 1111 runs at 53 in List A cricket. During that same four-year period, Henriques also has been solid in the shortest format, with 1482 runs at 32 spread across stints in the BBL, IPL and England’s T20 Blast.
And in the Sheffield Shield, he’s churned out 2642 runs at 42, including eight centuries. Prior to this batting form surge, Henriques was a classic bits-and-pieces player. He was not good enough to play for Australia either as a specialist batsman or as a frontline bowler.
Henriques’ seamers were accurate and frugal, but largely unthreatening, while his batting was little more than handy. Back then, four years ago, he had career batting averages of 31 in first-class cricket, 27 in List A cricket and 23 in T20s.
Now, however, Henriques has returned to the Australian limited-overs setup as a genuine batsman. His stump-to-stump bowling is just a bonus. It is still very early in Henriques’ comeback, but he’s showing signs he could offer Australia another all-rounder option for next year’s T20 World Cup.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
I know Ben. My reply was to him, not you :silly: Roar needs to add an identifier to figure out who is replying to whom. Otherwise at times it gets difficult.
Im defending you Kopa, Paul's comment was extremely banal and reeked of nationalistic sour grapes.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
I had to look up cricket.com.au to find out who Darren Sams was. Had never heard of him.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Christo, You might want to try again with that, seeing as there have been no domestic 50 or 20 over games this season. Then you can explain how his total of 10 wicketless Shield overs qualifies him as an international ODI & T20 bowler.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Maybe they just weren’t good enough?
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Henriques has been one of Australia’s best performing players this season. His results justify his selection. Short on the other hand...
Rob
Guest
Yeah nah, another NSW pick like Abbott.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Agreed but this is as good a stage as any to try them...with so many out injured. As the parochial West Aussie you know me to be, I'd add Tye and Short to that list. Everyone has worked out how to play Tye's 7 varieties and Short has always been on the perphery of WA sides. He does do well in purple...but most sportsmen do.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
You could say both Abbott and Sams earned their spots through pretty decent domestic performances, but they still both look a long way from international standards.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Steele, Andy Bic is a classic victim of the NSW bias and is frequently mentioned by Qlders because, aside from his general poor treatment from the selectors, and the fact that no greater trier ever paced out a run-up, he was the victim of two spectacular instances of the Blue Wave. When McGrath became unavailable for the 2nd Test in Perth in Nov 97, you'd think that the previous Tests' 12th man Andy Bic would be the logical replacement. You'd be wrong. As soon as McGrath was ruled out our Sinney based media started a campaign against him. 'Too short for the WACA!' they chorused. 'Hasn't played recently!' they refrained. So as it turned out the NSW quick Simon Cook became yet another 'Bolt from the Blues' selection surprise. To make the bias even more blatant, Cooks' form was non-existent. He had played precisely one game in the season of his Test selection and returned the figures of 20/0/87 as the full strength NSW were beaten up by Qld's 5/650. But that one game was more than he'd played in the previous season. Yep, zero games. And he was mediocre in his Shield career prior to that non-season, 47w @ 31.2 isn't exactly screaming 'PICK ME!'. And so, obviously Cook played in Perth against a weak NZ side and Bic was, you guessed it, 12th man. The reason behind the 'He hasn't played recently' card played against Bic (who holds the Oz record for Most 12th man) was changed not that long after to allow the 12th to go and play Shield cricket. Guess who the first beneficiary was? T'was that Golden Child of the NSW media, Brett Lee. So that's a couple of reasons why Bic is often quoted as a prime example/victim of the bias that's been spoiling Oz cricket over the last 40 years.
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
So Bichel and Kaspa never dominated when they got a start at the highest level and you're advocating bowlers like Lee and McGrath only got picked because they were from NSW?
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
I'm guessing you probably think the same about Smith, Warner and the big three test bowlers. Let me guess, you're from up north?
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
The comparison didn't make sense. Abbott doesn't have "enough credit in the bank"to be compared with bumrah. Starc would have been more appropriate comparison & both had poor series. Abbott looked like new Andrew Tye.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
:laughing: :laughing:
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
I am more than aware of the difference in between looking beefy & power. Ms dhoni from India is someone I admire who was one of best finisher in one day game. He wasn't beefy looking either. Current ones would make my 12 year old cousin look like gilchrist. However that's a problem I guess with all new comers who just want to swing the bat & hope it connects thanks to t20s.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Fair points. I also like Neser and hope he gets an opportunity at some point. I wouldn’t have minded him or Pattinson in ahead of Tye today.
CSKERD
Roar Rookie
Indians don't look beefy like a Hayden or Symonds.. There's more than enough Power... Unless you bring in 8s or 12s into the game...
Steele
Roar Rookie
The NSW thing has plenty of merit, but your examples are poor. Bichel and Kaspa averaged 32 for the test side with terrible strike rates. Hardly stiff. Played too often if you ask me. Maher averaged 38 in a golden era, not good enough. Love - bloody stiff! Didn’t set a foot wrong when selected, much like Hodge. As for Neser, yeah why wasnt he looked at in the ODI’s and 20/20? When Starc and Cummins were left out, I think at worst one frontline bowler should’ve got a game. Not a collection of mediocre all rounders. I think Neser is a better cricketer than Agar, Moises and Abbott who all got games. But then again, showing my Vic bias, so is Pattinson, but he is pigeon holed as a test player only. Yet we all know he’ll be carrying the drinks with all the bloody NSWs bowlers in the squad! Neser/Patto both can bat anyway so picking one of them to replace Cummins and Starc just seemed the sensible thing.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
John Allan, I have been posting in support JA but most of the posts I've made to this thread have not been published.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Unlike Test cricket, there is no “template” for the make up of a successful 20/20 side. I acknowledge that Henriques & Neser don’t normally bat in the same position. However Neser has opened the bowling for Queensland & is capable of delivering 4 good overs & is a wicket taker in all forms of the game. Also capable of scoring quickly when required. 20/20 requires “flexibility on the run” & I firmly believe that Neser who is also a brilliant fieldsman deserves an opportunity. Just my opinion.