Selection mix gets thicker for Australian selectors

David Wiseman

December 9, 2002

If the World Cup picture got any clearer for the Australian selectors after this weekend, that would have been 'clear as mud'.

With three runs from 15 balls, have Andrew Symonds chances of going to South Africa gone?

Has the previously unfancied Michael Hussey nudged his name ahead of the pack after his unbeaten 44 and fine run out?

With the depth of Australian cricket so great, there are more people who can be left out then picked. Such being the case, if Australia do not defend their crown in South Africa next March, expect a lot of finger pointing towards Jolimont Street.

The hot seat at the moment in the Australian one-day side is No 7. Gilchrist opening the batting allows the selection of an extra player, ideally an all-rounder. One who can make runs if they are called for and required to get through 10 overs.

This gives the side more versatility and means the chances of part-time bowlers such as Lehmann, Bevan and Martyn being called upon are less.

It was the failure of both Ian Harvey and Symonds in this role last year which saw Australia became unstuck and miss out on the VB Series Finals. When Harvey played, the side appeared short a batsman. When it was Symonds, Australia looked a bowler short.

In front of Australian audiences, Shane Watson is untested. This VB Series is going to be his baptism of fire and 'make or break' time for him. In his eight One-Day Internationals to date, he has eight wickets at 46 with a respectable batting average of 34. So, he seems to be more of an all-rounder in the Symonds mould.

If Watson comes unstuck against England and Sri Lanka, that's when it gets interesting.

There is no doubt you need an all-rounder of some sort to be competitive in ODIs. It's ironic that the Australian Test side are so flexible while their pyjama colleagues are not.

Probably not knowing it at the time, the whole notion of having different Test and one-day sides was sown when the administrators made it a 50-over game with five minimum bowlers. In Test cricket you had your four primary bowlers. Now another one amongst the top six had to be found to bowl 10 overs.

The better one-day sides in history have been those where they had players to pick from who were naturals at both batting and bowling such as Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Wasim Akram and Steve Waugh.

In the 1987 World Cup, Waugh took 11 wickets at 26. With Australia fielding an average wicket-keeper in the shape of Greg Dyer, it was imperative that they make up for it elsewhere. It was Waugh's incredible performances in this World Cup which saw them win it.

It was the bowling of Tom Moody which got Australia home in 1999. His tournament matched Australia's in that he had a slow start and only began to hit his straps at the business end of things.

The fact that Waugh doesn't bowl anymore and is therefore a batsman rather than an all-rounder conspires against him. If he will not bowl, there is no way the Australian selectors can pick him. The void for him to fill is that of the all-rounder. That's it. In Bevan, Lehmann and Ponting, Australia have arguablythe finest middle-order in the world. After that triumvirate and Martyn they need an all-rounder.

One person who didn't do his chances any harm in the Australia A game was Greg Blewett. He batted nicely before being dismissed by a superb catch and bowled seven tight overs of medium pace. After playing the last of his 32 one-dayers, four years ago he might be worth another look.

His inclusion would add some steel to the batting and his bowling is the tight, wicket-to-wicket proposition which could be successful on the South African pitches.

Australian coach John Buchanan and captain Ricky Ponting have a lot to think about between now and February. Are they as adept bowling first to batting first and vice-versa? Because if not, that will shape the composition of the team.

When you play well, cricket is an easy fun game. When out of form, she can be a tough torturer of body, mind and soul.

Will it be elementary for Dear Watson?

This will be the first of many questions to be answered between now and March 23.

© 2002 David Wiseman