Selectors must heed the lessons of Ashes defeat

The Age

Friday November 20, 2009

Peter Roebuck

AUSTRALIA has lost three of its past five Test series. Amid all the backslapping it is a point worth pondering. Ricky Ponting's side has slipped to fourth in the rankings. Along the way captain and selectors have blundered, with the wrong teams chosen, pitches misread and puzzling tactics pursued at critical moments. Admittedly it has not all been bad. Australia performed admirably throughout a long stint overseas. The ODI side surpassed itself. But Test cricket is the real deal and in that arena Australian has fallen back. All the more reason to keep a close eye on the side appearing next week at the Gabba.Australian cricket needs to face the facts. Apologists and insiders point out that Australian batsmen scored more runs and the bowlers took more wickets than their Ashes counterparts and conclude they were short-changed to lose the series. Defeat is blamed upon two poor sessions. It is gibberish, a mere smokescreen. Test series are played over 25 days and produce a legitimate result. That is their purpose.England was the better side in Birmingham and twice in London. The result was fair. Andrew Strauss and company deserved to win. No good will come of supposing otherwise.Consider the mistakes made in England by the same panel that named its latest line-up yesterday. Phil Hughes was prematurely dropped. One more match was needed, one more chance to find out how far a quick eye might take a young player. Now he is betwixt and between.The selectors were lucky that Shane Watson served so well as an emergency opener. And the selection at the Oval was a debacle. Somehow those responsible convinced themselves the track was rock hard and white. In fact it was exhausted and yellow. One inspired spell, two run-outs and the Ashes were gone. Yesterday Andrew Hilditch confirmed that the selectors take responsibility for the team, and not merely the 12. It's a mistake. Nor does it reflect reality. For transparency's sake they ought to name 12 and leave the final decision to those on the ground. Then the position would be clear-cut. As it stands Jamie Cox, the touring selector at that fifth Test, ought to resign. Omitting the spinner on a baked and bare surface was ridiculous. Nor was it wise to settle on a side days beforehand.Admittedly the selectors had been proved right about Nathan Hauritz. He's become a better bowler than most thought possible. Ponting's mishandling of spinners has not helped. Jason Krejza was not given much chance in Perth. Despite his figures, he's bowling well this season.Australia's thinking has gone awry. Hilditch talked a lot about preparing for the next Ashes series in 2009-10. It's a distraction. England sits even lower in the table than the Aussies. Since when has Australia measured itself by a home series played against the fifth best team? Australia needs to focus on beating these woebegone West Indians and a gifted Pakistani outfit. First things first.No serious objection can be made to the team chosen for the Gabba Test. Giving the batsmen another go was reasonable. Admittedly the opening partnership looks makeshift but it's been working. Now Watson needs to start thinking the part. Openers are a breed apart. Fifties are OK for middle-order show ponies.Michael Hussey deserved another chance. Two years ago he was an immoveable object. Although he has faltered, his recent form has been sound and he scored a ton in his last Test. Michael Clarke's back is the worry.Among the speedsters, the strongpoint could become the weakness. Ben Hilfenhaus enjoyed English conditions but may find antipodean tracks less to his liking. Mitchell Johnson usually takes a few laps to warm up so could be wayward. Peter Siddle has been sore. None of them has played a first-class match for months.Doug Bollinger, the likely 12th man, has been hitting the pitch hard. The omitted Stuart Clark has bowled superbly on a dead SCG track but he's 34 and the pack is closing.