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I was compiling a list of batsmen who were possible Test candidates as a means of proving that keeping Ponting and Hussey in the team was costing Australian cricket.
While I was doing so, I tried to find examples to make the point that while the selection cupboard may not be having its door kicked in the way it was from 1995 through to 2005, neither is it bare.
It was the search for these examples that led me to this post – which Australian cricketer was screwed the most by the ‘golden era’ team and the selectors of the day.
What are your thoughts?
Here are my top candidates:
Stuart Law:
Between Sheffield Shield and English county cricket, Law played 367 first class matches with an average just over 50. He played one Test match as injury cover for Steve Waugh and padded up for just one innings of 54 not out against Sri Lanka.
He was never given another opportunity which left him without a Test match batting average.
Law did however, manage to play 54 One Day Internationals for Australia.
Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Average | High Score |
Tests | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 54*
FC | 367 | 601 | 65 | 50.52 | 263
Brad Hodge
As an opening batsman in the era of Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer, Hodge never really got the chance he deserved to play for Australia.
The man did play half a dozen Test matches but was dropped only three Tests after scoring an unbeaten double century against South Africa.
He also managed to sneak in 25 One Day Internationals for Australia.
Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Average | High Score |
Tests | 6 | 11 | 2 | 52.12 | 203*
FC | 223 | 388 | 38 | 48.81 | 302*
Stuart MacGill
MacGill makes the list despite actually managing to play a fair bit of Test cricket.
Had he been around at any other time, he would probably have been Australia’s premier spinner and doubled or even tripled the number of Tests he played.
Unfortunately for MacGill, he was cursed to be competing with Shane Warne for selection in the Australian cricket team, leaving him largely in the shadows despite managing to notch up 44 Tests and three One Day Internationals for his country.
Matches | Wickets | Average | Economy | Best Figures |
Tests | 44 | 208 | 29.02 | 3.22 | 8/108
FC | 184 | 774 | 30.49 | 3.41 | 8/108
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