Before the Tim Paine scandal broke, there were two big question marks over the national team: who would open with David Warner and who would bat at five?
Now George Bailey has publicly endorsed Marcus Harris, it’s down to Usman Khawaja versus Travis Head at five.
But a new selection dilemma has opened up with Paine stepping back: who should keep wicket in the Test team?
Most pundits seem to think it’s going to be either Alex Carey or Josh Inglis.
I can see the logic. Carey has been heir apparent for a while, but then the selectors seemed to go off him and develop a crush on Inglis.
Personally I think a third person should do the job: Jimmy Peirson.
First up, I’ll admit it: I am biased because I am a Queenslander and Peirson is the Queensland keeper.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
But it’s the great unwritten rule of Australian cricket that your wicketkeeper should, if possible, be a Queenslander. That’s where, generally, our best ones came from: Don Tallon, Wally Grout and Ian Healy.
I say ‘generally’ because some fine ones are capable of coming from elsewhere (Rod Marsh, Adam Gilchrist and Brad Haddin).
But when in doubt, always go for a Queensland keeper. For whatever reason, they simply have the best attitude: laconic, tough, never say die, all that stuff.
When we haven’t, traditionally it’s been a mistake – they should’ve picked John Maclean over Steve Rixon in ’77-78, Ray Phillips over Wayne Phillips in ’85, and Chris Hartley over Matthew Wade in the 2010s.
And Peirson is good. Very good. A better keeper, I would argue, than Carey or Inglis.
I know this is difficult to measure without hard stats but just from watching him, it’s Peirson who seems the most consistent.
He seems more at home there. The skills of Inglis and Carey are good enough for white-ball cricket but over five days it adds up.
Peirson’s batting is absolutely fine. He averages 32 at first-class level, which is only two runs less than Inglis and Carey.
(Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
Importantly, he tends to get runs when they’re badly needed. Peirson has saved many, many a Queensland collapse with his fighting innings, which really is all wicketkeepers should be required do with the bat.
It’s foolish to ask anything more (‘Waaa! I want Gilchrist again! Waaaa!!!’) because they you find yourself doing things like making Wayne Phillips learn his trade as keeper at Test level then wonder why the team keeps dropping catches.
Peirson is also a leader and a captain, who would provide excellent advice to the captain. He’s younger than Carey and only a few years older than Inglis.
Personally I think they’ll give it to Carey.
The selection panel is entirely made up of representatives from AFL-first states and will find Carey’s AFL background too sexy. That and the fact he’s been around the group for a while.
But it’s a mistake. They should go with Peirson in Tests, keep Carey in ODIs and put Inglis in the T20 team when it’s time for Wade to go.
At the very least the conversation should be constantly including him as an option.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Hence "in the eyes of the selectors". I know Jimmy has plenty of leadership experience across multiple formats. But they just handed Carey the ODI captaincy in Finch's absence, which says a lot about how the selectors view him.
redbackfan
Roar Rookie
agreed, they all drop some, just had an issue with the "error-free" label
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Berry is another media ex-player given to the headline grabber. These days sports journos, as research, trawl through sports sites such as SEN and Kayo, isolate an outlandish single comment and report it as a central thesis. Social media then waters and fertilises it. One guy who realizes this is Mark Waugh. The other day when Cam Green was given out LBW, Brenton Speed (an atrocious commentator) insisted Broad and Anderson would make mince meat of him because he has got out 3 times LBW (Shield and Marsh Cup). Waugh, after commenting on a possible technical error in one stroke, then qualified with, " Mind you he played that ok. He got his pad outside off, the ball hit him outside. It wasn't really out." He went on to say Green is an outstanding talent with no real flaw in the way he played that.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Except Jimmy has way more leadership experience.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
I'm sure any keeper you went over all footage of their performances would have their fair share of howlers.... Your Man Carey would be as Guilty as anyone.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Poor Jimmy. You've made remember incorrect spelling of his name.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Agreed. It is very much a case of place and time. Carey is a known cleanskin. Inglis and Peirson are probably as pure as the driven snow but no one knows until they have been pure for 10 years.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
As a QLD boy ( a very biased one) I agree to some level. Inglis is the 2nd best keeper in the lands (only behind Tim Paine) . He's a better keeper than Jimmy Peirson. Jimmy is then the next best. And we've got Alex Carey who's the next one who's getting the gig. I'm disappointed both miss selection behind Alex Carey. But I wish Alex Carey luck and hope he does well.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Hadds was a terrific gloveman. Gee, why do people rewrite history on the basis of likes and dislikes?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Well there's a bit of egg on your face. The reason I say he's error-free is because he hasn't played a Shield game at all. Hard to make an error if you don't play.
Rob
Guest
Exactly right about Hartley’s ability over Haddin and Wade with the gloves. Root dropped on 0 goes on to score 100. Pretty sure Haddin missed a regulation catch on Gambir early in the 1st Test and he went on to score a double century and basically dominated the Australians for the series. Your safety hands are best behind the Stumps.
Rob
Guest
And somewhere in the period in between. Haddin managed to get runs in Australia and around the time Hartley also was scoring runs. Picking Haddin for his batting was also a reason Australia struggled. Lost count of the missed opportunities that cost games because a top order opponent kicked on when they should have been out.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Punter says Inglis is the man :thumbup:
redbackfan
Roar Rookie
ill say it again, error free? his one shield game this year he dropped a sitter, straight to him, medium pace. facts never stopped you tho freo don
redbackfan
Roar Rookie
one of the best slip fielders too
Chanon
Roar Rookie
To my Victorian bypass disgust :laughing: YES :laughing:
Micko
Roar Rookie
Yeah, they just keep producing guns don't they?
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Man the baked New York cheese cake is the best when you have the munchies!
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I did like it. And a New York Cheesecake.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Good luck Scorpio Man! Remember, I always played the ball and l think most have.