Most of the time it is fairly easy to know what is in the selectors mind before a squad is announced. Hell, in this day and age they leak it to the media the day before it is announced so why they even bother having an announcement is sometimes beyond me. On this occasion though there is a fair amount of intrigue. Australia has lost its last three series, and won only one of its last nine Tests. Batsmen and bowlers have all got to be under pressure no matter what their name and reputation is. Many fans and most commentators have already turned their minds to the Ashes series in England in August, but if Australia takes its eye off the ball anymore than its already has they could easily slip up in the Sri Lankan series and have a complete home season of embarrassment.
I’m willing to give my opinion here and suggest what I think the selectors have to do in order to both ensure they have a team that should be capable of winning the series against Sri Lanka, but can also set up some valuable thoughts in regards to Tests down the track. It would require some tact from the selectors when it comes to communicating what they are trying to achieve, but I believe it could be the best way forward.
The bowlers in theory have chosen themselves for some time, and that doesn’t change too much apart from a slight tweak. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon all get a guernsey again. I understand why Peter Siddle was chosen for Pakistan and why he was kept around the squad this summer as 12th man. He had a good winter in England and performed well in the conditions, and he has been looked at as that long term selection as back up bowler for that tour. That doesn’t have to change, but he should be left to play out the season with the Adelaide Strikers and be considered for the World Cup squad if that is the way the selectors are thinking. This also goes for another candidate who has terrific form in the English County circuit, James Pattinson. Coming back from injury this season – again – he has shown good pace and intent in a couple of Shield games and in the BBL for the Brisbane Heat. He is another that will be considered very carefully to make that tour, and while it would be great to see him bowling in a Test again, especially at the Gabba, he also should be left to bowl out the BBL season and then look ahead after that.
I would choose Chris Tremain with an eye to picking him to play at Brisbane in the 1st Test, replacing Mitch Starc. Tremain has been the leading fast bowler in the Sheffield Shield over the past two and a half years, and he deserves a chance to play Test cricket. Not only would giving him a game against Sri Lanka on Australia’s best wicket for fast bowling be the perfect way to introduce him to this level, it would remind the other three bowlers that form is what you need to be selected for Australia, and not just being a permanent member of the team. There is no reason why Starc could not then play in the 2nd Test in Canberra, either ‘resting’ Hazlewood or Cummins to do so, or replacing Tremain if he doesn’t quite get it right. But playing Tremain has more benefits than down sides. If it comes off then Australia knows it has a fourth fast bowler ready to go and not coming in as a rookie if required in England. It also covers bases in case any of the three bowlers in the current cartel continue to struggle to take wickets. If they don’t try Tremain, and our current three fast bowlers continue to struggle for two Tests, where does that leave us in August? To me this is a sensible and measured selection for a player who fully deserves his chance while he is in wicket taking form, and doesn’t suffer the fate that bowlers like Joe Mennie, Chadd Sayers and others have had of being selected when they were in a form slump.
The batting line up is just two Tests away from being able to welcome back their two best exponents from suspension, and with that in mind I think the selections need to prepare the team for their arrival. Usman Khawaja has had a summer to forget, but still looks to be the Test team’s number three, and that is where he should return to. It means that the selectors need to find an opening batsman to partner Marcus Harris at the top of the order, his third partner in his short Test career. I think it is the perfect opportunity to bring Joe Burns back into the team. He has been the best performed opening batsman in the Shield over the past eighteen months, and did nothing wrong in his latest recall to the team when he scored 4 and 42 in the 4th Test against South Africa and was then once again unfathomably cast aside with little explanation. The Gabba is his home wicket, he would form a handy left hand/right hand combination at the top of the order and he deserves the chance to come in and try and nail down his spot on the form he has shown.
No doubt the selectors will disagree, but I cannot believe you can pick a batsman who has averaged 18 in Test cricket over the past 12 months. It defies every convention of selecting, and surely Shaun Marsh must go. It will be no surprise to see him held onto.
Peter Handscomb has been pilloried by many commentators for his technique (cue Shane Warne), but he had such a terrific start to his Test career that you cannot believe he can’t be a Test batsman. I would stick with him for the Sri Lanka series, along with Travis Head who is still learning the long form game and continues to look good until he plays that one bad shot that gets him out. Another couple of Tests may iron that deficiency out of him.
Number six is wide open, and there are reasonable applicants in current squad member Marnus Labuschagne, white ball all-round participant Marcus Stoinis (cue Shane Warne) and the best number six in Shield cricket Matthew Wade. Labuschagne probably deserves another chance after his good showing in the 4th Test with the bat, and he looks more suited to number six than number three. Stoinis looks a good bat and a handy heavy bowler but perhaps hasn’t quite done enough with the bat in red ball cricket to be selected. Wade has done nothing wrong since his demotion from the Test side, scoring all the runs he was hoped to do when he was actually in the Test team. He deserves his spot on form, one of the few in the country to be in that position.
I however would go with Glenn Maxwell. It is his time to show what he can do. He has still not played a Test in Australia. When he was left out of the Ashes team last season he was told to go away and make runs. He scored 278 in his next innings, averaged 50 last season and in only four innings this year has averaged above 40. He has also been captaining the Melbourne Stars and has shown some great maturity in the role. And in fulfilling the selectors desire to have someone who can bowl a few overs (umm… guys… Travis Head can do that…) Maxwell can also roll his arm over. Two Tests against Sri Lanka will soon show whether he has what it takes to be a Test number six, and whether he needs to be considered for England.
I don’t for a second believe this team will be chosen, and I don’t believe many people will agree with me. Still, this is what I would choose to not only win the Sri Lankan series, but give us an eye towards the English series and also set the parameters for the return of the pariahs. I look forward to what we are offered when the team is announced.
My squad: Marcus Harris, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Tim Paine (c & wk), Pat Cummins, Chris Tremain, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood (vc), Mitchell Starc (12th), Marnus Labuschagne (13th).
No comments:
Post a Comment