The prospect of playing two spinners in Pakistan means Australia will be forced to select only one paceman out of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Ashes hero Scott Boland in the three-Test tour.
Test captain Pat Cummins said the team had so many options for the first match of the series which begins next Friday in Rawalpindi with the flexibility that all-rounder Cameron Green provides as a third seamer.
Cummins intends to play all three matches and he said on Friday that it was inevitable with such a talent-laden squad that some deserving players would miss out on the final XI.
“Unfortunately the reality of having a really, really strong squad is a that a couple of people are going to miss out on a good Test match,” he said.
“In terms of the fast bowlers, Scotty Boland’s just had a fantastic summer, Joshy Hazlewood and Starc are superstars so already one of those is going to miss the first Test, you’d expect.
“I think everyone realises there’s going to be some tough calls and there’s not much you can do about it.”
Cummins described Green as a captain’s dream for the balance he brings to the squad and his non-stop effort on the field.
Scott Boland. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
“He was fantastic throughout the summer, he’s a captain’s dream as an extra proper bowling option,” he said.
“He’s still young but it’s great having someone like him in the team – if we feel like we are suited to having two spinners in the side for a certain venue, knowing that he can be the third quick bowler, gives us options and confidence.”
If they opt to play a second spinner, they will turn to uncapped leggie Mitch Swepson or left-arm orthodox exponent Ashton Agar, who have each been starved for red-ball cricket in recent seasons.
Cummins was confident either option could do the job.
“Sweppo has spent a lot of time around the Test side so even though he might not have played a lot of red-ball cricket, he’s been bowling lots and lots and lots in the nets,” he said.
“The same for Ash. He’s been playing a lot of international cricket the past couple of years. While it’s a different format, a different feel, I’m really confident, especially in their form, that either of those will be able to slot straight in.”
Mitchell Swepson (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
The Australians had their last training session on home soil at the MCG on Friday morning before flying to Pakistan for the first tour since Mark Taylor’s side won 1-0 in 1998 when the skipper famously scored 334 not out in Peshawar.
They’ve been using a roughed-up pitch to replicate the conditions in Pakistan while Cummins said he would lean on vice-captain Steve Smith and David Warner in particular for tactical advice on tour as they have extensive experience playing on the subcontinent.
Cummins said the team had moved on from the messy exit of coach Justin Langer last month despite former opener Matthew Hayden again voicing his displeasure about the players’ role in the review which led to his old teammate’s departure.
Speaking to The Australian, Hayden said he believed Cricket Australia was “being led around by the players”, calling for those opting out of the limited-overs portion of the tour should face a pay cut.
“When players are choosing not to play for their country it is a massive flag of concern for your high-performance set-up,’’ Hayden said.
“I just don’t reckon it passes the pub test. The single biggest thing which ties everything together at that level is that you are all really keen to play for your country and if you haven’t got that, I actually question whether you have a high performance culture at all.”
Cummins said being on tour away from the mainstream media spotlight meant they can “fully concentrate on the cricket” under interim coach Andrew McDonald.
“It’s only been a couple of days but it has been really seamless so far,” he said when asked about the transition between coaches.
“Andrew has been around the team for a couple of years so everyone knows how he operates and what his expectations are. It has been a great couple of days [in camp].
“I think as much as anything, this Test squad has had a really good Ashes series and we’ve had a month apart and now we’re all just itching to get back together and get stuck in.
“I’m sure JL will be missed but Andrew has slotted straight in.
“There has been no other chat than just being excited to get started.”
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Hoggy!
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Are you sure?
Clear as mud
Guest
Johnny Martin here we come! Love a lefty wristy
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
True about Abdul Qadir. If ever there was a situation for him to exert match winning impact away from Pakistan than it would have been a 5th day in Adelaide. It wasn't yet known, but he would over his career prove to be mostly a dud away from Pakistan, where he was as good as unplayable.
Clear as mud
Guest
Maybe. But the talk the night before was how Qadir had Hughes’ number and how Kim couldn’t grind (notwithstanding his grindery against England the summer before) Also… 5th say collapses are not unknown at Adelaide eg us against the Windies in 81-2. Bit general point about attack strength is valid
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
The starting criterion for all fixturing and any "extended" Aussie squad selection should be to ensure that the Australian summer has all cricketers playing constantly. Shield cricket is essential. It just cannot be that Swepson has to watch Shield games where Matt Kuhnemann gets stacks of games or Ashton Agar has to watch WA rely on Ashton Turner, Darcy Short or Clint Hinchliffe. At least Agar got some white ball cricket. Swepson rarely gets even that. By the way, keep an eye on a WA left hand wrist spinner, Hamish McKenzie. He has taken more wickets than any player in any state in Premier cricket (63) including 7/45 in a semi yesterday and a 5 for in the one day final last weekend. 22 yo and bats in the middle order too.
matth
Roar Guru
Interesting after an extended period of excellent form. Possibly another player to lose their rhythm after being a non player in a series of COVID bubbles. I’d think wrist spinners would really need to keep on bowling. So we have Swepson possibly out of form and Agar who might not even remember what a red ball looks like. I guess that’s the reality of the modern game.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Even in that 83-4 match, it would have taken one of the all-time most horrendous of collapses on the last day to lose, as Pakistan's attack was a very weak one and the pitch as flat as a tack. The double ton three years earlier was the season before I started watching and following cricket.
Clear as mud
Guest
I was in London that week and tuned in. Azarenka smashed 120 off at better than a run a ball. That was the innings of the series for mine. But 333 looked great on a bat!
Clear as mud
Guest
Yes even Adelaide 80-1. Hughes 213 was a glorious display of footwork and driving. One for the purists. But meaningless, as Sandeep’s almost as good 170 showed just how dead the track was. Hughes’s 83-4 match saver was a much better and vitally important dig. But not as good in the highlights reel.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Yeah I noticed that too. Plenty of centuries or big scores in those games. I did notice in one of of the triple centuries I didn't mention, Lawrence Rowe 302. Tony Greig scored 148 and took 6 wickets in WI only innings. Man that's some effort.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Timeless tests. Ewww. Imagine being a quick bowling on a road in a timeless test. There was also a test where Jayasuriya scored 340 when SL declared at 952 (yep, 952). Guess they were proving a point or just trying to cook India's bowlers? I reluctantly give Gooch some credit for turning his abysmal form in the 89 Ashes series to such an effort in 1990. And totally agree some of Goochs other innings were far superior in terms of quality.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
The other thing to consider about triple tons is the extreme rarity (if ever) that they are the only century in the match for either team, only century in the match for own team, and even the only century in the innings. Also, the rarity of nobody in the opposition scoring a ton.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Just to pick out two: Hutton's 364. England did not need to score 903, and were still only 7 wickets down. Very flat tracks were always prepared for the Ashes deciders in England between the wars, which were also timeless. In 1930 Australia scored 695, and in 1934 701. In the 1938 match, I think Australia's attack was weakened a little, and of course no more Grimmett. Australia batted two short each innings, including Bradman in both. Gooch's 333. India were virtual minnows away from home right up until the new Century. Gooch played far superior innings to this one against Australia and the West Indies.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Aw bugger. Are you guys okay? Well may as well keep going with this. From other instances where a player has scored a triple ton there's been major mismatches in a victory: Len Hutton 363 v Australia Sobers 365 v Pak Edrichs 310 v NZ Good 333 v India Inzamams 329 v NZ Sewag 309 v Pak Jayawardene 374 v SA Amla 311 v Eng Azhar 309 v WI Karun Nair 303 v Eng I don't know what point I'm trying to make. I rarely do. But it's not a bad percentage of wins where a player has scored a triple ton (31 times in test history). But dunno what their percentages for total runs needed for the rest of the serieses
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
No worries. Not much else to do when flooded in.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Okay it's a Sunday. Morning. It's far too early to be providing so many of those things that you count with. You know. They are on a clock. I'd better go lie down. Oh wait. I already am.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
The other thing that gets lost in colossal scores is how they paper over failures in and around them. Imagine we rated batsmen not in average runs per dismissal, but average percentage of team need. For example, let’s imagine a team’s star batsman plays five innings in a series and, for simplicity, his team needs precisely 100 from him on each of those five occasions. He scores 200, 0, 20, 30 and 50. To average out raw percentages of team need, we get 60, but this is distorted, because getting more than 100% of what your team needs does not increase your team’s victory chances. Therefore, percentages would be capped at 100, which would then bring this particular batsman’s percentage average back to 40, which is a much truer indication of his performances.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Hearing ya but there will no doubt be times there will be pitches like this where a team of batpeople go out and slap a bunch of big scores. If Aust is up 1 nil in Pakistan going into the 3rd test, they could stack their batting line up and try to bat for 3 days. Probably won't but if it's a road... "Ashton, you take the new ball with Travis. GOAT will bowl first change" "What about Greeny?" "Oh don't worry. You'll all get a turn"
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
What I don’t like is test matches where five full days play yield an average return of 3.6 wickets for 293.6 runs. You don’t get results on pitches like that. I have nothing against big scores that lead to wins. ____ What I also don’t like is pitches that turn world class bowlers into minnow like impotence. _____ When analysing Australian player performances against the top teams over the 40 years I have been watching – over 100 test matches against the West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand during Hadlee’s time and India mostly in India, and even England on occasions – there are four distinct matches that I completely disregard in full: three successive Adelaide games in 1986-87, 87-88 and 88-89 as well as the Peschawar test of late 1998. _____________ Triple centuries are almost always a glaring red flag that the game is destined to go nowhere – the only exceptions are gross mismatches between the two teams such as Hayden’s 380, Clarke’s 329, Warner’s 335 and Hammond’s 336.