I miss the days where cricketers had to battle for years whilst playing for their states, trying to prove their skill and talents in order to earn the right to don the baggy green. Playing in front of a handful of only a handful of fans across the country, churning out hundred after hundred, practically begging to get into the national team and being a part of such a prestige side rich with history.
During the glory years of the 90’s and early 2000’s there were players breaking records at state level and still getting over looked for national selection. Players like Michael Di Venuto who played 331 first class matches scoring 24,909 runs with 145 fifties and 60 hundreds but yet retired with 0 international test matches to his name.
The reality is we are not going to see another Mcgrath, or Warnie! Not in this lifetime anyway. Players of that calibre, including the likes of Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Gilly and the Waugh twins just to name a few, do not come around often. What made these types of legends is how hard they had to work at state level fine tuning the unbelievable talent they were blessed with to prove they belonged. The countless hours they put in bowling or batting in the nets. All you have to do is read their autobiographies for proof of the hard work, determination and struggles they endured to play for their country.
We were spoilt for years with world class cricket talent.
Now we have to sit back and watch cricket Australia constantly selecting unproven talent, desperate to unearth the next Mcgrath or the next Warnie. In my opinion devaluing the honour or wearing the baggy green by handing cap after cap to these no bodies. Picking players who have one, maybe two first class matches to their name.
What have the likes of Michael Beer, Nathan Lyon, Xavier Doherty done to earn national selection? Bowl a few spinning deliveries in a hand full of first class matches? If that? Impressing no one yet still receiving almost instant selection to play for Australia just for being ‘spin bowlers’! You can find players of their talent turning their arm over in almost any park across the country on a Saturday afternoon. Why don’t cricket Australia’s selectors just go for a drive on the weekends and pick a few players off some suburban ground? It seems we are almost that desperate.
I just wish they would bring back the value and honour to the baggy green. Bringing back what it represents and WHO it represents. How can we even mention some of the players who have worn the cap over the past few years in the same breath as the likes of Alan Border, Sir Donald Bradman, and Steve Waugh? The simple answer is, we can’t!
It’s time to force players to start proving themselves again before picking them to play for their country. Start letting their stats speak for themselves and giving them compelling arguments as to why they should play for Australia! Is that too much to ask? Are the talent levels out there that bad that this thought is just ridiculous? All you have to do is listen to the likes of Mark Waugh for the truth about the state of cricket in Australia.
Or you can listen to garbage the selectors feed the media and if that’s what you choose to do then we are in some serious trouble.
Ray
December 6, 2011
well put im sick of this easy road. even kids now they play sports without keeping score because everyone is a winner… plz hard work anyone ???
Spin Doctor
December 6, 2011
Adam, I think you have a strong arguement there, with the rise of some ‘unknown players’ getting a start. It begins to devalue the sacred baggy green, that like you say, our heroes sweat ‘blood’ to earn. You look on the flip side, players like Brad Hodge, Simon Katich, and even Phil Jaques have all had success in recent times, yet they don’t get the call up. It’s become a raffle, where players put their name in a hat and get drawn out to get a start.
The other question that needs to be asked, how long should these players have at the top to prove themselves. Does one failure mean the axe?
adammourad
December 7, 2011
The sad thing is that they are given many opportunities to prove themselves at international level before even being a success at state level. so how do you gauge failure or success?
Brad Hodge was one of the unluckiest players! As someone mentioned to me today the selectors made the decision that they would pursue younger talent for the future which was fine. so they stopped picking hodge, then they went and start picking the hussey brothers who were well over 30. the selectors are a disfunctional bunch and i was happy to read today that the players think the whole board should sack them selves!
Abomb
December 7, 2011
Then you add the IPL into the mix….
fatbillmack
December 9, 2011
Yes there has been some players thrown a baggy green with limited first class experience, but we don’t have the luxury like we did a few years ago of having an established team. 5 or 10 years ago we could afford to carry an out of form player because those around him filled the void until he regained some form. At the moment we seem to have a team full of players out of form but there aren’t really any players performing in state cricket either and the selectors are struggling to find the answers. I think the selectors just need to be patient and stick with the guys we have now as the recent test matches have been very promising. Apart from Ponting and Hussy nearing retirement, we have the nucleus of a young team that can stick together and form another formidable combination.
The fatman out……….
adammourad
December 9, 2011
Our future pace attack looks extremely promising!!!
The batting a ranks aren’t as thin as we all think. There is some really good young players in the mix.
Btw.. What happened to Tim Paine? Is he injured?