Author: CaughtOutCricket

Good morning fellow cricket lovers. I set up this blog whilst studying my degree in Sports Journalism at the University of Sunderland a couple of years ago and have looked to progress it over time. I usually write about issues surrounding Australian and English cricket, but also try to include some other bits and pieces about the West Indies and New Zealand etc. I'm currently based in York, England, but have travelled around Australia and New Zealand in the past couple of years, following and watching cricket as I go. Thanks for the support of those who spend their valuable time reading my views on cricket, I try to be balanced, fair and partisan at all times. For anymore info please don't hesitate to tweet me at: @SBaker3113

Rugged Rogers finally reaps rewards

August 13, 2013October 26, 2015Posted in International CricketTagged Ashes, Chris Rogers, Cricket, Cricket Australia, SportLeave a comment

Australia must stick with Chris Rogers in the mid-term.

So the Ashes are over! Well as a contest that is, England deserve their win as the better side across three of the four Test matches – but for Australia – more questions than answers lie ahead.

The Aussies must re-group and start the post-mortem ahead of the return series down under in November. It maybe that there will be casualties along the way as they seek to find the correct balance for success, but one man who must now surely be in their mid-term thinking is Chris Rogers.

The 35-year-old opener rose above the rest at Chester-le-Street with twin scores of 113 and 49 and he should now be given a decent run at the top of the Australian order.

His first innings 113 – made in difficult overcast conditions suggested that he not only has the technique for grinding it out at Test level but also the mental toughness.

He played and missed, nudged and nurdled but off his 227^th ball of a growling second day’s play, Christopher John Llewellyn Rogers could finally say he was a Test centurion.

After been stuck on 96 for 20 deliveries, Rogers could have be forgiven for thinking his maiden Test century would never arrive – but this is the same man who only six months ago thought he would never represent his country again.

When it finally arrived, via a sweep off Graeme Swann, he was calm and reflective in his response – an acknowledgment to his partner Brad Haddin was followed by a brief raise of the bat and a removal of the helmet – fifteen years of toil were finally rewarded.

Rogers is a true fighter, an old fashioned opener, he accumulates his runs rather than caressing them and the innings that brought up his maiden Test ton was nothing unfamiliar – in all honesty it was ‘One hell of a scrap.’

But he is used to a scrap. His fifteen years in first-class cricket has seen him play for four different counties and two state sides – while he has just recently gone past the twenty thousand first-class runs mark – not bad for a guy who almost lost his Victoria contract a year ago – with his side keen on developing younger players instead.

At 35, he is the second oldest Australian to score a maiden Test century behind only Arthur Richardson, 37, who reached the feat in 1926 – but despite his age he is a player Australia must base their batting around in the next 18 months.

Originally brought back into the Test scene for this series as an experienced hand to replace the loss of both Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey – who retired at the conclusion of the Australian summer, he has suddenly become one of the side’s most important top order players.

After scoring just 4 and 15 – whilst replacing the injured Matthew Hayden on Test debut in January 2008, he had to wait a further five years for his opportunity on the international scene, and he started his comeback with mixed results.

A promising second innings fifty at Trent Bridge was followed by struggles at Lords and the doubters started calling for his head. Unflustered, Rogers went away to work on his game – before he went back to basics at Old Trafford and came out to score a fluent 84 in the first dig.

After so long in the international wilderness, it seemed he needed to prove he belongs at Test level to not only the public but to himself. His 84 in Manchester certainly brought him the confidence that he could succeed against this England attack and although his maiden century contained its fair share of luck – no one could begrudge the man they call ‘Bucky’ his long overdue success.

His second innings partnership of 109 with David Warner also brought positives for the Australians after Warner replaced Shane Watson at the top of the order. The pair seemed to compliment each other well in their differencing styles at the wicket – although they [Australia] will be looking for reinforcements in the batting line-up they should look no further than the current opening combination. Instant success will not come overnight but at least by keeping the opening combination the same they have a good base to work with.

Long live “The Rabbit” – Farewell Chris Martin

July 8, 2013October 26, 2015Posted in International CricketTagged Blackcaps, Bunny, Chris Martin, Cricket, New ZealandLeave a comment

Forget the Ashes build-up for a minute, let’s take time out to reflect on the career of one of the last of cricket’s dying species – “The Rabbit”.

When Chris Martin announced his retirement to the press last week it brought great sadness. Although it had hardly been unexpected after he was dropped during his side’s Test series in January, I wasn’t yet ready to comprehend a cricketing world without him.

Martin had not been an automatic choice for the Blackcaps in past year with the emergence of a younger crop of fast bowlers in the side. The likes of Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Doug Bracewell have all represented a new era in New Zealand cricket – this meant the veteran experience of Martin was no longer a necessary selection.

Martin is a guy who despite being a fine seam bowler in his own right, will forever been remembered as one of the last true number elevens in the modern game.

“Rabbit” – A particularly incompetent batsman, who is invariably a specialist bowler. While most lower order batsmen would be expected to occasionally score some useful runs, a rabbit is expected to be dismissed cheaply almost every time. Another term, ferret, refers to a batsman even worse than a rabbit (named as such because, in the wild, “a ferret goes in after a rabbit.”)

By that definition, I should probably refer to Martin as a ferret, but I’ll be kind and stick with rabbit or perhaps even bunny instead.

Back to the hutch...Chris Martin records yet another Test duck. — Back to the hutch…Chris Martin records yet another Test duck.

Martin was a true bunny, a man known throughout the cricketing world as a cult hero, a good steady opening bowler but a hopeless batsman. His bowling should not be underestimated though. Among his compatriots only Sir Richard Hadlee (431) and Daniel Vettori (360) have claimed more Test wickets than his 233 and only Vettori of the current New Zealand players has outlasted him in the side.

The now 38-year-old made his Test debut in November 2000 and went on to play a further 70 Tests over a 13-year-period – before playing his final match in January, fittingly against South Africa, a side he made his debut against and in truth a side he had his most success against – Indeed 55 of his Test victims were against the Proteas at a healthy average of 26.72.

In all Martin’s bowling stats are respectable in the modern day and age of flat wickets and heavy bats. He claimed 233 Test victims at 33.81 and took ten five-wicket hauls.

But of course, for the man who shares his name with a certain Coldplay front man, it was always his lack of ability with the bat that attracted most interest among cricket fans worldwide.

Only Courtney Walsh (43) made more ducks in Test cricket than Martin’s 36. While he holds the record for the most pairs in Test matches with seven – three ahead of his nearest challenger.

He didn’t reach 100 Tests runs until his 60^th match and finished his 71 match-career with just 123 runs at the lowly average of 2.36.

Martin was the last of Test cricket’s really bunnies. In a new age of ODI and T20 cricket, bowlers are now expected to contribute more with the bat as one dimensional cricketers are being phased out of the game. The days of specialist bowlers such as Walsh, Phil Tufnell and Alan Mullally are now a thing of the past – the retirement of Martin – looks like marking an end to the era of “The Rabbit.”

With a heavy heart it’s time to say farewell Chris, thanks for the memories, the fun and of course that video.

Bowling allrounder’s lead Northants title push

June 5, 2013October 26, 2015Posted in County CricketTagged County Cricket, Cricket, LV County Championship, sportsLeave a comment

With a 25-point lead at the top of the LV County Championship Division Two table, onlookers could be forgiven for thinking that by September promotion for Northamptonshire will be a foregone conclusion – but things in the County Championship are rarely foregone conclusions.

Just ask the Northants fans – who in 2011 – found themselves in a similar position to what they are in now. That was until they entered the final match of the season against Gloucestershire needing to better Surrey’s points total in their match with Derbyshire.

For Northants it ended in heartbreak. Despite beating Gloucestershire and gaining 22 points, they could do nothing about Surrey result against Derbyshire. As it turned out – Surrey not only won, but they gained 24 points in doing so and pipped Northants to the second promotion spot by just a single point – such margins can be the difference between agony and ecstasy in County Cricket.

This time round Northants will hope that the lead they have built up over their first six matches of the season can help them avoid another final game shoot-out with their nearest challengers.

The fact that they are in such a lofty position is mainly down to their array of fast-bowling allrounders. The quartet of Trent Copeland, Steven Crook, Andrew Hall and David Willey have not only provided the majority of their wickets but have also scored the bulk of their runs – masking the lack of runs from further up the order.

Perhaps the best of the lot has been overseas signing Copeland. The 27-year-old Australian seamer has exceeded all expectations with excellent performances with both leather and willow in hand. Figures of 116 runs at 55.33 and 27 wickets at 18.25 – suggest true allrounder status.

Copeland is not a glamorous name when compared with Northants’ overseas signings of the past (Bishan Bedi, Kapil Dev, Curtly Ambrose, Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey to name just a few) but he is the ideal modern day County signing – A line and length bowler who can contribute with the bat down the order.

Indeed his batting has surprised many this season but he did come with a reputation as a lower order hitter from his time with New South Wales. It was only as recent as February that he scored his maiden first-class hundred and he finished the Sheffield Shield campaign with a batting average of 34.72 across his eight appearances.

Copeland is not the only Australian-born bowler who has reaped early season rewards in both disciplines for Northants. Journeyman Crook has been a revelation since re-joining the club from Middlesex over the winter.

Crook hasn’t always found the going so well, since making his first-class debut for Lancashire over ten years ago he has managed just 57 first-class appearances. Since first signing for Northants in 2005, he found the going tough and after a spate of injuries at Wantage Road he stepped away from the game in 2009 before signing for Middlesex in 2011 and returning to the form his potential suggested.

Northampton-born David Willey is leading the way for his home county.

This season, Crook’s form has been a revelation for all to see in Northampton, not only has he taken the wickets many knew he was capable of (24 wickets at 19.54) – he has also excelled with the bat – regularly digging his side out of a hole with late order hitting of the highest class. 249 runs across five innings at 62.25 suggest more than just a lower order slogger.

The case of Willey is a much simpler and local story. The 23-year-old is the son of former Northants and England allrounder David and has progressed through the counties’ youth programmes; making his debut in 2009 he led the club’s bowling charts last year with 43 first-class victims.

The left-armer has lived up to last season’s hype with 24 wickets at 24.33 as well scoring 193 runs at 27.57 with the bat and he is now a vital clog in the Northants wheel of success.

Experienced former South African allrounder Hall, 37, has been vital to the balance of the side with both runs from number five and important wickets as a second change bowler. Since relinquishing the captaincy after the side’s poor 2012 campaign (where they finished second bottom) Hall has topped the batting charts with 362 runs at 60.33 along with claiming 15 victims at 23.20.

As well as improving the form of Hall, the change of captaincy as done wonders for Northants as Stephen Peters has taken over the role like a duck to water. The veteran opener has not only been astute with his on field skipper duties but he has also contributed 311 runs at 51.83 before a broken thumb ruled him out for six weeks.

Whether Northants can keep up the pace at the top of the table is a different matter all together. Copeland will return back to Australia when his time as overseas player comes to an end at the conclusion of this week’s fixture against Worcestershire and his presence will be highly missed not just on the field but in the dressing room too.

A lack of a quality spin bowler could also affect the side later in the summer as the pitches will likely change from the seamer-friendly surfaces Northants’ attack are geared towards to more dryer spin-orientated affairs.

A lack of such slower bowlers has yet to affect Northants as off-spinner James Middlebrook has be only been required to bowl a handful of overs – largely to keep the quicker men fresh.

Although Middlebrook is an experienced campaigner, he is unlikely to run through sides the way former Steelbacks’ Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar once did.

Elsewhere across the spinning cupboard, Con de Lange has disappointed since arriving on English shores last season. He managed just three first-class wickets in 2012 and will find himself further down the pecking order upon the arrival of former left-arm spinner Graeme White – who will rejoin the side next week on a one month loan deal from Nottinghamshire.

Waiting in the wings...England U19 players Ben Duckett and Olly Stone as pushing for more first team opportunities. — Waiting in the wings…England U19 players Ben Duckett and Olly Stone are pushing for more first team opportunities.

Despite a relative lack of quality spin options, the club do have depth elsewhere. The recent draw with Leicestershire brought up the potential of England U19 wicketkeeper Ben Duckett – who scored a maiden fifty on his first-class debut covering for regular keeper David Murphy – who was away with the Scotland set-up.

Another England U19 player, Olly Stone, has also been gifted limited opportunities in the side this season due to the form of the incumbent seamers and with Copeland soon to depart – chances are the 19-year-old will be given a chance to stake his place as a regular in the coming weeks.

Other options in the bowling department include Pakistani Azharullah, who recently took 3-59 against Hampshire as well as Lee Daggett – who has impressed in recent second XI fixtures.

To have such options in the bowling department despite the departure of Jack Brooks to Yorkshire over the winter, is decrement to the system Northants have. They have in recent years been criticised for fielding too many Kolpak players, but the county are now moving themselves away from that avenue towards a more home grown approach.

The top order batting remains a concern. Despite runs from Peters at the top of the order and the quartet mentioned above, only Rob Newton with 251 runs at 41.83 can say he has done justice to his talent with the bat so far this season.

Keeper Murphy along with Alex Wakely, David Sales and Kyle Coetzer have all averaged between 17-21 and the report card would read – must do better!

The questions remain for Northants and with matches against Worcestershire, Leicestershire and Lancashire to come in the next month – many of answers could arrive before June is out – will it be the ecstasy of 2003 or the agony of 2011?

Why Australia picked the right Ashes squad

April 28, 2013October 26, 2015Posted in International CricketLeave a comment

So the Ashes are just eleven weeks away. Gee, how quickly has time passed since Chris Tremlett bowled Michael Beer to regain the urn for England in January 2011?

Since then, England became the number one Test side in the world – then lost it to South Africa nearly a year ago, while Australia had a chance themselves to be that number one side, only for the South African’s to beat them at home last winter.

England will rightly go into this summer’s showdown as favourites, but with the squad the Australian’s have assembled – they have at least gave themselves a chance of pulling off what would be described as an upset.

After the recent Indian nightmare, the Ashes squad selection was an important one for John Inverarity and his selection panel after so many muddled mistakes were made in selection for that tour of India.

It’s not often in recent times that you can say the selections of a certain Inverarity look correct and well thought out, but on this occasion it looks like Australia have picked the best possible squad they could have named in the current circumstances.

The squad for the Indian series looked unbalanced and underwhelming at first glance and the 4-0 score line suggests it was just that.

The selections of the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Moises Henriques for the tour to India were baffling to say the least. Maxwell started the series as a spin-bowling allrounder and ended it opening the batting (The fact he bats at eight for Victoria – says everything you need to know!)

This new squad is different though. Players were picked on form and not just potential or ODI potential in Maxwell’s case. The squad is solid and balanced, with both youth and experience included in equal measure.

Unlike the squad for India, it doesn’t include ‘Bits and Pieces’ players like Henriques, Maxwell and Steven Smith. They have named the best possible batsmen, bowlers and wicketkeepers that the country has to offer.

Chris Rogers is one example of this new thinking. Its five years since Rogers made his one and only Test appearance – He has since been forgotten and shoved aside as younger men such as Phillip Hughes were given opportunities ahead of him – with the Australian selection panel looking towards youth in their rebuilding process.

Rogers could be forgiven for thinking his chance of adding to his solitary Test cap had gone but in the current climate where quality young Australian batsmen no longer grow on trees – 19,107 first-class runs at 50.01 simply couldn’t be ignored any longer.

Chris Rogers has scored 9,375 first-class runs at an average of 54.19 in English conditions.

Adding experience and leadership was a must for the Ashes campaign. Gone are Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting – A combination of 247 Tests and 19,613 runs worth of experience to replace between them. That’s where the return of Brad Haddin as both keeper and vice-captain becomes invaluable.

Haddin was unfortunate to be dropped from the Test side in the first place and his return will be welcomed by everyone and especially captain Michael Clarke. The team will look towards his leadership and experience in English conditions to guide them through the tough times that an Ashes series throws up.

The batting order is something that needed sorting out in the post-mortem of the Indian tour and by picking the experience of Haddin and Rogers this can only help but solidify the top and middle order.

Other batsmen murmured in the media for a place in the squad include: George Bailey, Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges and Smith – but neither has any recent first-class form behind them excluding Smith – who has struggled on each of his trips to the UK.

It has to be said that both Hughes and Shane Watson are on borrowed time after difficult tours of India. That said both players – if on-form remain the best options the country has to offer in English conditions.

The bowling remains strong and the decision to recall the veteran Ryan Harris is a wise one. Despite his current injury woes, Harris on his day has the ability to rip through sides with his combination of good pace and late movement both ways.

Jackson Bird’s inclusion was also a must. A man whose bowling looks tailor made for English conditions, he will provide Clarke with a different option to the other bowlers in the squad. His 11 wickets at 16.18 in two matches against Sri Lanka last winter show he doesn’t look out of his depth at Test level.

The selections of Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc are no-brainers on recent showings, but it’s the decision to call up uncapped bowling allrounder James Faulkner that has many people excited.

The 22-year-old has excelled in recent seasons for Tasmania, winning their player of the year award for the last three seasons. First-class averages of 29 with the bat and 22 with the ball – suggest he can challenge Watson for the allrounder’s spot in the team and with age on his side he still has time to improve his all round game.

The quick bowling selections could be been far worse; Mitchell Johnson could have been included. The erratic left-armer has had his chances in the side and now must move aside to let Starc develop his game further.

Although an enigma on the cricket field, it is of my opinion that Johnson should never represent Australia in another Test match as there are now far better other bowling options available.

How much the Barmy Army would have loved to see him back in the Aussie line-up at Trent Bridge?

He bowls to the left, he bowls to the right…etc etc!

That’s my point though…Australia must provide a squad of players that get their English counterparts uncomfortable – By naming this set of players, they are doing just that.

Nathan Lyon is right now (Fawad Ahmed passport permitting) the best slow bowler in Australia and by naming just one spinner in the squad the selectors will have ensured Lyon with the confidence that he didn’t receive with his dropping for the second Test in India.

Yes, it can be said that this is a squad for ‘The here and now’ but it’s the Ashes for Christ sake! How many series can you afford to lose by blooding younger players who are either not good enough or not yet ready for the rigours of international cricket?

The rebuilding process can only go on for so long, especially seeming as the problems lay with the lack of batsmen being developed at youth level – problems that can’t be fixed overnight.

Praise must be given to the Australian selectors for their sensible selections in an age where expensive luxuries such as Maxwell and Henriques are forever being given chances in the side.

It’s hard to imagine that it’s the same selection panel that decided on Maxwell as a spin bowler for an Indian tour and one that selected Rob Quiney for a Test series against South Africa in November.

It may be that Australia will still lose the Ashes, but at least the selectors can hold their heads up high with the knowledge that they have picked the best possible squad at their disposal.

Ashes squad:

Michael Clarke (capt), Brad Haddin (vice-capt, wk), David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja, Chris Rogers, Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird.

My Ashes XI for the first Test at Trent Bridge:

Ed Cowan
Shane Watson
Chris Rogers
Michael Clarke
Usman Khawaja
David Warner
Brad Haddin
James Pattinson
Peter Siddle
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon

County Championship – five to watch in 2013

April 4, 2013October 26, 2015Posted in County CricketLeave a comment

With the start of the County Championship just around the corner, I take a look at the five young players to look out for during the 2013 season.

2012 brought the likes of Joe Root, Danny Briggs and James Harris into England recognition and these five men will hope that first-team opportunities in 2013 will lead them down a similar pathway.

Shiv Thakor – Leicestershire

The 19-year-old allrounder first rose to promise in 2011 when he scored 134 on his first-class debut against Loughborough MCCU – In doing so he became the first Leicester-born player to score a hundred on debut for his home county.

A hard-hitting batsman with a good temperament, Thakor has shown remarkable talent from a young age. He was first signed up by Leicestershire as a nine-year old and has not looked back since.

His school highlights included a score of 237 for Loughborough Grammar School and an unbeaten 219 for Uppingham – a school who awarded him an all-round scholarship at 13-years-old.

Since leaving school, Thakor turned down university opportunities from Cardiff, Durham and Loughborough in favour of signing a three-year professional contract with his county, a move that seems justified by his 2012 form.

With James Taylor having left for Nottinghamshire ahead of the 2012 season, Thakor was left to pick up some of the batting slack and did not disappoint. His six first-class appearances yielded 427 runs at 61 and included four fifties.

His most impressive batting performances included an unbeaten 85 on a green top against Hampshire and dual knocks of 61 and 38no to save at draw at Northamptonshire.

Such was his Championship form, that it was a shock that he was overlooked for England’s U19 World Cup squad in August. He did however return to the U19 set-up as captain earlier this year, only for injury to rule him out.

If he can go about replicating his 2012 form then a call-up to the England Lions set-up is not out of the equation in the next twelve months.

Reece Topley – Essex

Not since Steven Finn has there been such hype over a tall English fast bowler and Topley certainly has the same talent and qualities to make a similar mark on the international game as Finn did a few years back.

The 6’7 left-arm fast bowler first hit the headlines for Essex in early 2011, where he burst onto the scene with 14 wickets in his first three County Championship matches, aged just 17.

Two-years on and having already represented the England Development and Lions squads over the winter, the future looks very bright for the Ipswich-born man to follow in Finn’s footsteps and represent his country.

Despite his early success, Topley was used sparingly in first-class cricket last season and was restricted to just three Championship matches, taking 11 wickets at 31.82 in the process.

It was limited overs cricket that he really caught the eye in. First he helped Essex’s T20 campaign by taking 17 wickets in nine matches and then he returned from the U19 World Cup as the tournaments leading wicket taker with 19 wickets at an average of just 9.10 and an economy rate of 3.17.

He remains an incredibly grounded man, mainly thanks to his father Don, who himself played for Essex and Surrey and it won’t be long before he is given further England honours.

If injuries stay away then he has the potential to form a deadly potent opening partnership with fellow youngster Tymal Mills (20) this season, as Essex look to spark a promotion push.

Ben Foakes – Essex

Like Topley, 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Foakes is held in high regard by the Essex hierarchy and Graham Gooch in particular.

Despite having only played five first-class matches to date, Foakes’ potential is there for all to see and it was this potential that saw him make his first-class debut against the touring Sri Lankan’s in 2011.

He made his Championship debut against Leicestershire the following summer, and impressed with a flashy 93 –that included no fewer than 14 boundaries.

His fine Championship start was followed by an impressive showing at the U19 World Cup, where he was England’s vice-captain and leading run scorer with 234 runs at 39.

He spent the winter with the England Development squad in India, where he worked on his batting with Mark Ramprakash and Graham Thorpe, before he joined up with the Lions set-up for their tour of Australia in February.

Although he is a keeper-batsman, it’s his batting that has earned rave reviews in recent times; comparisons have been drawn with his Essex teammate Alastair Cook and playing as a specialist batsman looks his best way of forcing his way into the starting XI this season as captain James Foster is the incumbent behind the stumps.

The departure of reserve keeper Adam Wheater to Hampshire will also mean that should anything happen to Foster over the course of the season then Foakes will be next in line to keep wicket.

If he can work his way into the Essex middle-order during the summer then there will remain opportunities for him continue his international career that has seen him represent his country at every stage since under-16 level.

Daniel Bell-Drummond – Kent

Bell-Drummond is another player that has been involved with the England U19 set-up in the past year and is regarded as the next great opening batting hope to develop after Joe Root.

His idol is Brian Lara and it is clear to see a calypso style to his batting – mainly brought about through his father Percival, who himself played Minor Counties cricket.

The 19-year-old aggressive right-hander has been around the Kent set-up since a seven year old and has represented his country since the age of 15.

He continued his rich promise whilst at the highly successful Millfield School in Somerset, a school that’s alumni includes: James Hildreth, Craig Kieswetter, Rory Hamilton-Brown and Tom Maynard amongst other, before he signed a three-year contract with Kent in 2011.

He made his first-class debut whilst still at school as a 17-year-old, making an impressive 80 opening the batting against Loughborough MCCU.

He followed this up by hitting 40 off 32 balls in his Pro40 debut against Worcestershire a few months later and finally made his much anticipated Championship debut at the end of the 2011 season, replacing the injured Rob Key.

2012 saw him mainly involved in Kent’s second XI but his chance to shine came in July against the touring South Africans. Opening the batting with fellow youngster Sam Northeast, Bell-Drummond scored 42 and 48no against an attack compromising of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Jacques Kallis.

Big things were expected of him in the 2012 U19 World Cup but he disappointed with just 57 runs at 9.50 in six innings before returning to Kent to play in their final Championship match of the season, where he scored 33 and 0.

Despite Northeast and former captain Key currently holding the opening slots, there have been murmurs that Key will drop down to number three and let Bell-Drummond continue his progress alongside Northeast at the top of the order.

Craig Overton – Somerset

Overton is one of two twin brothers (His brother Jamie is the other), who broke into the Somerset side in 2012, and the 18-year-old bowling allrounder has been compared to a young Stuart Broad in recent times.

Both Overton twins came to Somerset’s attention in 2011 when they helped North Devon win the Devon Cricket League and Devon win the Minor Counties League.

He made his Championship debut against Lancashire in April 2012, ahead of brother Jamie and went on to make a further six first-class appearances during the summer. Although he disappointed with the bat making just one fifty, he did take twelve wickets at 30.35 and his batting must be given time to develop.

Both Craig and Jamie were involved in the U19 World Cup last August and Craig impressed as much as anyone in the squad with 122 runs and five wickets as England finished in 5^th place.

He was awarded a place on the Lions tour of Australia in February and played six matches in all, but he will be disappointed with his overall rewards with both bat and ball.

2013 will see Overton again up against his brother along with Adam Dibble and Gemaal Hussain for a place in the Championship side to provide the pace bowling options alongside stewards Alfonso Thomas and Steve Kirby.

Ex-England bowling quartet looking to revive careers

March 31, 2013October 26, 2015Posted in County CricketLeave a comment

It might not be the fast-bowling merry-go-round, but it isn’t far off this close season as four former England bowlers have moved Counties in a bid to try and revive their stagnating careers. During some part of the past decade, Sajid Mahmood, Liam Plunkett, Ajmal Shahzad and Kabir Ali have all been seen as England’s next fast bowling hope – only for injuries and inconsistent form to scupper their careers at some point or another.

In this post I look back at the highs and lows of each player’s career and try to predict what we can expect of them in their new homes of 2013.

Sajid Mahmood – Lancashire to Essex

Career so far: The 31-year-old cousin of boxer Amir Khan has decided to swap recently relegated Lancashire for fellow Division Two outfit Essex in a hope to fulfil his promise that once saw him earn eight Test caps for his country in the mid 2000’s.

Originally spotted by Lancashire whilst playing in the Bolton Leagues, he was signed up to a professional contract in 2002. Such was Mahmood’s impact in his early Lancashire career that he was called up by the then England A side after just six first-class matches under his belt.

Then England coach Duncan Fletcher liked what he saw from Mahmood, with his ability to bowl at 90mph a particular interest to the England set-up and he was rewarded with an ODI debut against New Zealand in July 2004.

Mahmood was eventually called up to make his Test debut in May 2006. He took steady match figures of 5-168 as England failed to beat the visiting Sri Lankan’s at Lords.

More Tests followed against Pakistan that same summer, but it will be England’s disastrous Ashes campaign during the winter that Mahmood’s Test career will be remembered for. He was called up for the third Test in Perth with England already having suffered defeats in both Brisbane and Adelaide, for Mahmood it appeared damage limitation. England were already on a hiding to nothing and Mahmood was probably made a scapegoat in the aftermath of such an Ashes hammering.

The Sydney game marked the end of his Test career. 20 wickets at 38.10 perhaps don’t do his talent justice and many good bowlers have had worst figures after eight Tests then his.

Despite his Test career hitting a wall, he remained in the ODI plans and was part of the disappointing World Cup squad of 2007, making six appearances as England fell short at the super eights stage. He was dropped from all formats by his country after that tournament and only briefly returned to make his final (and 26^th) ODI appearance – taking 1-41 against South Africa in November 2009.

His form for Lancashire since the England days has been indifferent. Between 2007 and 2010 he averaged over 30 in first-class cricket – before coming back into form to take 35 wickets at 29.85 in his side’s 2011 Championship winning effort.

Things turned sour for Mahmood and his side in 2012. In what was a disastrous season for all involved with the Lancastrians, he managed just four wickets in three Championship matches before being dropped. Unable to force his way back into the side after the arrival of Shahzad, he subsequently joined Somerset on loan for the rest of the season.

His form at Taunton was consistent with that of his previous few seasons in county cricket –as he took eight wickets at a touch over 30. He was released by Lancashire at the end of the season after ten years and 260 first-class wickets worth of service, and made no secret at his disappointment of the decision.

What 2013 holds? The now grey-haired Mahmood moves down to Chelmsford after signing a two-year deal with the Eagles in late November. He joins a young Essex attack looking for an experienced figurehead to lead the line. Talented youngsters Reece Topley (19) and Tymal Mills (20) will start the season as first choice seamers and it will up to Mahmood to challenge the likes of Maurice Chambers and David Masters for a place in the side.

It will be the first time in his career that he will play in the Second Division of the County Championship and a good start is vital for his confidence. Should he hit his straps early and take regular wickets then there is no reason he can’t be the man to spearhead Essex’s push towards their ultimate goal of promotion.

What he said: “I am delighted to be joining Essex. Playing at Lancashire was a great experience for me and I thank them for all they did for my cricket. I see this move as a new beginning and can’t wait to get started. Paul Grayson has been brilliant throughout the recruitment process and I appreciate the faith he’s shown in me.”

Liam Plunkett – Durham to Yorkshire

Career so far: It’s hard to imagine that Liam Plunkett is still just 27. His long career at Durham has already spanned ten years and with his 28^th Birthday only around the corner he should still be ready to reach his peak.

Despite many successes at Durham including winning the County Championship in both 2008 and 2009, Plunkett had reached a crossroads in his career and a move to Yorkshire looks a wise career choice for a man with so much more to offer County cricket and perhaps, even still English cricket.

The Teesside-born man made his first class-debut at Chester-le-Street as an 18-year-old and from an early age it looked as if he was destine for England honours. His breakthrough season came in 2005 where he took 50 Championship wickets for the first time and it was this form that led to him earning an England call-up for the tour to Pakistan after Simon Jones pulled out through injury.

His debut on that tour was an unspectacular event as the Pakistani batsmen pilled on the runs, but he was given further chances notably coinciding with Mahmood’s debut in the 2006 home series with Sri Lanka. Unlike Mahmood, Plunkett escaped any involvement in the Ashes whitewash of that winter as he remained an unused squad player throughout the Test leg of the tour.

Impressive performances in the following tri-series, where he took 12 wickets, were enough for Plunkett to book his place in the 2007 World Cup squad although he failed to make an impression in the three matches he was involved in.

He was recalled for the 2007 home series with the West Indies as a result of the Ashes backlash – but he let himself down in two of the three matches and drifted out of the reckoning as England favoured of other bowling options.

A superb 2009 in which he claimed 49 Championship wickets as Durham recorded back-to-back Division One titles earned him a recall to the England Test side but he remained unused on the winter tour of South Africa. Ironically it was his teammate Graham Onions who kept him out of the side and Plunkett has failed to add to his nine Test caps since.

A brief return to the ODI side in early 2011 proved a false dawn and later Plunkett struggled for consistency when back at Durham taking just 11 Championship wickets at 38. If 2011 seemed a disappointment then 2012 would be looked upon as catastrophic. He started the season will poor fitness levels and out of the first XI. Things didn’t improve over the following months as the likes of Chris Rushworth and Calum Thorp kept him to just one Championship appearance. To top this off an Achilles injury finally put pay to his season in July and despite having a year left on his contract he was allowed to speak with other Counties in September.

What 2013 Holds? After weighing up his options, Plunkett decided to sign a three-year contract with Yorkshire in October, a move that sees him reunited with former Durham coach Martyn Moxon – now director of cricket with Yorkshire.

Fully recovered from the Achilles injury that blemished his final months at Durham, Plunkett recently spent a two-month stint at the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy in Adelaide before joining the rest of the Yorkshire squad in their pre-season tour of Barbados.

Early signs are good that Plunkett has recovered well from his injury problems and Yorkshire will hope he returns to the bowler of 2005 or 2009 – where he was consistently one of the country’s best opening bowlers.

Following the release of Shahzad, Yorkshire have not only recruited Plunkett but also Northamptonshire and England Lions bowler Jack Brooks too. The duo are likely to challenge veteran Ryan Sidebottom, youngster Moin Ashraf and the wily Steve Patterson for a place in the starting XI.

All being well for Plunkett then he will open the bowling for the Vikings in all forms of the game. With time on his side he certainly has the skills and talent to return to the Plunkett of old, perhaps leaving the comfort zone he had at Durham will be the tonic for him to challenge himself and return to the international scene.

What he said: “I have been fortunate enough to represent my country as recently as last year and there is no doubt I want to pull on an England shirt again. I strongly believe I have what it takes to play at the highest level again and I feel Yorkshire is the best environment to help me achieve this.”

Ajmal Shahzad – Yorkshire to Nottinghamshire

Career so far: What a difference a couple of years make. Shahzad was breaking through into the England squad and adored by the Yorkshire faithful – fast forward a couple of seasons and he finds himself forced out of the club and moving down the M1 to join rivals Nottinghamshire.

There wasn’t always animosity towards the Huddersfield-born Shahzad. In 2004 he became the first British-born Asian to represent his County – this led the way for the likes of Adil Rashid, Azeem Rafiq and Moin Ashraf to follow suit in recent times.

Despite making his first-class debut in 2004, it took a few seasons for him to establish himself in the side and it wasn’t until 2009 that he really had a breakthrough year.

With Tim Bresnan away with the England squad, Shahzad took his run in the Yorkshire side with both hands and finished the 2009 summer with 40 wickets and 445 Championship runs.

Such form was bound to impress the England selectors and he was duly called up for England’s tour of Bangladesh in early 2010, although he didn’t play any part on that tour he made his much anticipated Test debut later that year against Bangladesh at Old Trafford, taking a decent 3-45 and 1-18 in the process.

Despite a promising debut he was dropped for the following game in favour of Steven Finn and remained on the outskirts of an England side that was stocked with fast-bowling backup. Although he toured Australia with the successful Ashes campaign of that winter, he remained a backup squad player behind the likes of Finn, Bresnan and Chris Tremlett.

His all-round skills also earned him a place in England 2011 World Cup squad, but yet again he remained on the fringes of the side and with the rapid rise of Finn he was soon out of the immediate England thinking altogether.

Upon his return to the Yorkshire side, he was hit with injuries and couldn’t quite get over the disappointment at being axed from the England setup, as a result of this his form and temperament suffered and he was blamed by some as one of the reasons his County suffered relegation.

Yorkshire then dropped a bombshell at the start of the 2012 season, announcing that Shahzad would be allowed the leave the club on loan, whilst also branding him a ‘non team player’ and someone who refused to accept team discipline.

It later emerged that his stormy relationship with Yorkshire was a prolonged one, with the club and player in disagreement over his bowling tactics and general attitude.

Unwanted by Yorkshire, he joined bitter rivals Lancashire on loan until the end of the season, but despite his 20 wickets at 35.45, Lancashire were relegated just one year after they claimed their first Championship title in 77 years.

Despite Lancashire’s relegation, he was keen to join the club on a permanent basis as it was close enough to his Bradford home, but he eventually received a better three-year contract offer from Nottinghamshire.

What 2013 holds? Despite Nottinghamshire not being his first choice of destination and despite Nottinghamshire openly confessing that they would have preferred to have signed Glamorgan’s James Harris instead, this move looks a good one for both parties.

For Shahzad he has the chance to join a successful County and also to be based at Trent Bridge, a venue which isn’t far from his Yorkshire home and more importantly is a venue which will assist his style of bowling.

Nottinghamshire have signed someone that they believe can open the bowling and bat at number eight for them whilst replacing the impact left with the departure of Darren Pattinson, who has returned to play for Victoria.

After initially putting his name down for the Pakistan Super League, the league was a non-starter and he instead headed to South Africa and Barbados to continue his pre-season and fitness work with Nottinghamshire.

Like Plunkett, Shahzad is still just 27 and has time on his side to improve on his first-class bowling average of 34.01.

If he can regain his fitness and form and build up bowling partnerships with Henry Gurney and Luke Fletcher then the future looks bright for the Outlaws.

Don’t bet against an England recall for Shahzad in the next 18 months.

What he said: “As a seam bowler there is no better ground to play at than Trent Bridge. Hopefully playing alongside so many England players and performing well for Notts will put me back in the limelight.”

Kabir Ali – Hampshire to Lancashire

Career so far: Surely it’s now or never for Ali. A career that began fourteen years ago has seen him divide his time between Worcester, Southampton and now Manchester, and then of course there was a time when he threatened to earn himself an international career.

At 32, time is just about on his side and with this move to Old Trafford he has a chance to claim back a career that injuries have so often threatened to stall.

His talent has never being in question and if it wasn’t for the multiple injuries that have blighted his cricket, then he would have no doubt have added to his solitary Test cap – gained almost ten years ago.

England first became aware of his talents back in 2002, where after eight successive Ashes defeats, he was called into the Adelaide Academy as cover for an injury affected bowling unit.

He was awarded a Test-cap a year later and despite taking 3-80 and 2-56 against South Africa on debut, injuries started to take there toll.

Despite the injuries, Ali continued to represent England in ODI cricket and earned 14 appearances between 2003 and 2006, taking 25 wickets at 34.10.

He was over looked for the 2007 World Cup despite showing good form with Worcestershire and fell away from the England radar, before injury again scuppered his participation in an England A tour of India in 2008.

After ten years of service to Worcestershire, Ali decided he needed a change of scenery to fulfil his desires of playing for his country again and he joined Hampshire in a disputed move ahead of the 2010 season.

Despite the change of scenery, injuries again returned and he was ruled out of the entire 2010 summer due to a knee problem. He returned ahead of the 2011 season but was restricted to just five Championship appearances before a pre-season injury affected the start of his 2012 campaign.

He returned to hold his nerve and bowl the last over to lead Hampshire to victory in the Clydebank Pro40 final against Warwickshire in September, before being released as his contract expired. He made just 33 appearances in his three years with Hampshire and joined Lancashire on a two-year contract in November.

What 2013 holds? A record of 483 wickets at 27.35 spread across 130 first-class games show that Ali is no mug in County cricket and if he can starve off the injuries of old then there is no reason he can’t act as a like for like replacement for Mahmood at Old Trafford.

Word is that Ali’s injuries are behind him, for now. A prolonged run for the Barisal Burners in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League have helped him get off to an early pre-season and like Shahzad, he showed a willingness to participate in the Pakistan Super League.

It’s no secret that Lancashire would have preferred the younger Shahzad as their marquee bowling signing for the season, but after his move to Nottinghamshire they decided to give a chance to Ali and he will be looking to reward their faith in him with performances that help fire them back into Division One at the first time of asking.

He will compete with the likes of Oliver Newby, Kyle Hogg and Tom Smith for a place alongside stewards Glen Chapple and Steven Croft in the line-up.

What he said: “Lancashire is a fantastic Club with a proud history. I am excited at the prospect of working under Peter Moores and his coaching team as well as playing alongside Glen Chapple who is still one of the best in the country. Lancashire has an exciting and emerging squad and I am looking forward to playing my part in the challenges ahead.”

Can Ashraful become first Bangladeshi to score 200?

March 10, 2013October 26, 2015Posted in International CricketLeave a comment

Over four years have passed since Mohammad Ashraful last scored a Test hundred for Bangladesh, now only eleven runs separate him from becoming his country’s first double centurion.

His unbeaten 189 in the ongoing Test in Galle has already succeeded his and his country’s previous highest score in Test cricket, an unbeaten 158 against India in 2004 and Ashraful will hope this is the turning point in a career that has promised so much, but delivered so little.

Roar of delight...Ashraful celebrates his first Test century since 2008. — Roar of delight…Ashraful celebrates his first Test century since 2008.

In many ways Ashraful’s career has mirrored that of his country’s since they gained Test status in 2000. He has promised many false dawns’s only to disappoint in the majority. A Test average of 22.60 goes nowhere near describing the talents of the man’s batting ability. The highlights have so often been followed by droughts that can rival those of the Sahara desert in dry season.

Those highlights started with a debut 114 against Sri Lanka, aged just 16 and have continued over the years with important ODI knocks against Australia (100, in Cardiff, 2005) and South Africa (87, in the 2007 World Cup).

His form in the recent past has been horrendous and the Bangladeshi selectors have given him as many chances as they possibly could in hope he would regain his top form.

Since his last Test hundred in late 2008, he has scored just one fifty and finally paid the price for such shortcomings after scoring just one run in his two innings against Pakistan in December 2011.

His domestic form this season has been steady and nothing more and the fact he was selected for this tour was in hope more than expectation. By no means was he a banker for a place in the first Test match – but a fluent 102 in Bangladesh’s only warm up match convinced the selectors to throw him back into the side.

On Sunday things looked different. This was a new Ashraful, a more disciplined batsman, perhaps sensing that this was really his final tilt at a Test career his talent warrants.

When he walked off the field after 398 balls and eight hours, he knew that he was just eleven runs shy of becoming his country’s first double centurion and whilst doing so putting his side in a position where it is unlikely they will lose the match.

What has been the most impressive part of his innings has been his ability to be more selective in what shots to defend or attack, the Ashraful of old simply tried to hit everything he wished, often leading to his downfall early in his innings.

A 16-year-old Ashraful after scoring 114 on Test Debut in 2001.

Coming to the crease on Saturday afternoon after his side had slipped to 1-23 in reply to Sri Lanka’s huge first innings of 4-570. He started in positive fashion and added 42 with Anamul Haque, before the opener gifted his wicket to Ajantha Mendes. Then came the innings defining partnership of 105 with debutant Mominul Haque, who himself impressed with 55.

When Haque was dismissed by Nuwan Kulasekara and Mahmudullah decided to walk past a Rangana Herath delivery without scoring, Bangladesh were a long way from even passing the follow on and another innings defeat looked likely.

That was until Ashraful was joined by his captain Mushfiqur Rahim. The pair blunted the Sri Lankan attack and with doing so claimed another national record with an unbroken partnership of 261.

A drive down the ground off Herath brought up Ashraful’s sixth Test century and with it a roar of delight, a removal of his cap and a kiss of the pitch. A weight had been lifted, but the work had only just started.

It is easy to forget that Ashraful is only still 28, his career has spanned over twelve years and 58 Test matches and despite the false dawns his career has never really taken off.

Despite now been behind the likes of Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan in the country’s list of superstars, Ashraful remains the fans golden child of Bangladeshi cricket, perhaps the most talented batsman the Tigers have ever produced, maybe now he is finally realising that talent.

In a modern world where T20 cricket is taking over, Test cricket could do with a competitive Bangladesh and for the Tigers to be competitive, they need Ashraful to finally acknowledge his ability with bat in hand.

Dhoni steals Tendulkar’s thunder

February 25, 2013October 26, 2015Posted in International CricketLeave a comment

On a morning where thousands of Indian’s snaked around the MA Chidambaram Stadium in hope of capturing a glimpse of their hero Sachin Tendulkar’s 52^nd and possible final Test century, it was instead the country’s other icon MS Dhoni who stole the show with an unbeaten 206.

Many fans queued as early as 5am in a country where Test cricket is supposedly dead as the godly like figure that is Tendulkar started the day on unbeaten on 71.

Leading from the front...MS Dhoni on his way to an unbeaten 206. — Leading from the front…MS Dhoni on his way to an unbeaten 206.

If everything was to go according to plan then the full house would witness Tendulkar define both age and critics alike and race to his 52^nd Test hundred, but the beauty of cricket is that it often doesn’t go seldom to plan.

When the Australians kept Tendulkar and his batting partner Virat Kohli quiet for the first hour of play, the match turned on its head. Having battled his way to a further ten runs, the ‘Little Master’ copped a sharp turning offie from Nathan Lyon, a ball that he could only edge onto his leg stump. The stadium went quiet and Tendulkar’s vigil was over. The match was evenly poised, but what would keep the passionate Indian fans engrossed for the remainder of the day’s play….Enter captain Dhoni.

Despite scoring 99 in his last Test innings, Dhoni was a man under pressure. The captain of the world’s most supported cricket team, the man who led his side to 4-0 defeats in recent overseas ventures of England and Australia and the man who led his side to their first home series defeat in eight years as recently as two months ago.

Many have called for Dhoni’s head as captain of the Test side in recent times. How can a man who’s regarded as one of the world’s best ODI captains and batsmen, not transform that into the Test arena?

India’s Test successes over the past two years have gone as far as home wins over the world’s seven and eighth best sides in the form of the West Indies and New Zealand. Much more is expected of a country with the cricketing history of India’s and today Dhoni’s broad bat showed his country that light is at the end of the dark tunnel that is Test cricket.

With the uneasy silence that the fall of Tendulkar’s wicket had brought around the ground, out stepped to the crease the day’s unexpected hero.

His first boundary didn’t arrive until his 22^nd delivery, but by that stage Dhoni already looked assured at the crease and what was to follow would leave only one name on the lips of the devoted Tendulkar fans.

Three boundaries came off one Mitchell Starc over that took him past fifty and Moises Henriques was welcomed back into the attack with a sweetly driven six over extra cover, Dhoni had moved up a gear.

A missed run-out opportunity by Philip Hughes while on 88 wasn’t going to ruin Dhoni’s concentration, in fact it probably improved it as he took stock and buckled down, not reaching his hundred for a further nine overs.

After reaching his hundred, he wasn’t about to give it away. The overs slipped by and the occasional boundary came and went until Lyon was carted for two sixes in the 131 over of the innings, by this stage Dhoni had already passed 150 and was focusing on bringing up his maiden Test double.

The double was duly brought up with three overs of the day’s play to spare and Dhoni had lead his side to a lead of 135 and an un-losable position in the match.

The doubters were answered and the Tendulkar-rite’s were converted.

Australia set to face battle of spin

February 21, 2013October 26, 2015Posted in International CricketLeave a comment

When Australia begins their four match Test series in Chennai on Friday, one thing is for certain – they are set to face a huge battle against slow bowling.

The key battle of the series will be the Australian batsmen’s ability to play against what looks like is going to be a four-man Indian spin attack.

Shane Watson hits out during Australia's tour match against India A. — Shane Watson hits out during Australia’s tour match against India A.

If as predicted, then K Parthasarathy – the MA Chidambaram Stadium curator, will provide a turning wicket and the Indians will go in with three frontline spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha as well as the allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, who will bat at six.

Australia’s past record against quality spin bowling in less than desirable, especially when it comes to the current crop of batsmen – who apart from captain Michael Clarke, have lacked the application to grind it out against quality international spinners.

David Warner is expected to be passed fit to open the batting alongside Ed Cowan after a fractured thumb, meaning Shane Watson will have to settle for a middle order position at four.

After giving up bowling for the foreseeable future, Watson faces a big series in the Australian middle order. He has made no secret of his desire to bat at the top of the order and many Australian pundits have suggested that it should be him, not Cowan, opening the batting in Chennai.

After missing the final Test of the recent Sri Lankan series, the 31-year-old Queenslander, returned to make handy scores of 122 and 76 in the ODI series against the West Indies before top scoring in each innings with 84 and 60 at the top of the order in the second tour match against India A.

Since beginning his Test career in 2005, Watson has missed more Tests than he has played and his conversion rate of two hundreds to 19 fifties isn’t what it should be for a player of his calibre.

With Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey now settling into life after retirement, Watson, alongside Clarke, suddenly becomes a key part of Australia’s brittle middle order. Without his bowling to fall back on, Watson must ensure he makes the most of his starts against the Indian spinners and goes on to score heavily whilst at the crease.

Australia’s middle order remains thin. Gone are the generation of run makers and for that matter the generation of back-up run makers – so often readily picked from Sheffield Shield cricket. Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith have all been tried and ditched in Test cricket over the past four years and now the trio return looking to cement their places for what remains one of Australia’s toughest years in recent memory.

Only time will tell if it is a correct decision to select three allrounder’s (Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Moises Henriques) in the touring party and what looks like just one back up specialist batsman in Khawaja.

Moises Henriques is set to become Australia's 432nd Test cricketer. — Moises Henriques is set to become Australia’s 432nd Test cricketer.

I would have personally given a chance to Alex Doolan, who has impressed in Sheffield Shield and Australia A cricket this summer. Surely Doolan couldn’t do much worse than Smith as a batsman and the fact that Smith averages 73.33 with the ball in Test cricket – says all you need to know about his legspin bowling.

Another inclusion the selectors have missed out on is that of the former keeper Brad Haddin. After Clarke, Haddin remains the country’s best player of spin bowling and although the move to bring him in as a specialist batsman would be looked at by some as a backwards step with Haddin being 35, his experience and knowledge of the subcontinent pitches would be a valuable asset to this untried middle order.

As announced on Wednesday, Henriques will receive his baggy green, making him Australia’s 432^nd Test cricketer. The Portuguese-born allrounder will bat at seven with Matthew Wade moving up to six, meaning the side will go in with four quicks (Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and Henriques) alongside the lone spinner Nathan Lyon.

Coach Micky Arthur was impressed with the way Henriques performed in the two recent tour matches as he took 4-12 and 1-30 with the ball as well as scoring 16 and 33 with the bat. It was his lower order hitting that particularly impressed Arthur – as he hit three sixes and two fours in his 33 off 41 balls against India A. Although it was a short innings, he showed his prowess for attacking the spinners, a trait which his fellow teammates must follow in the coming weeks.

Judging by the performances of the Indian spinners in Australia’s two tour matches, facing slow bowling in the upcoming Test series is set to be a struggle for the tourists.

In their first match against the Board President’s XI, they were dismissed for 241 with little known off-spinner Parvez Rassol taking figures of 7-45.

They were also dismissed cheaply in their first innings in their encounter with the India A. Slow-left-armer Rakesh Dhurv and off-spinner Jalaj Saxena shared nine wickets between them as the visitors were shot out for just 235 in reply to India A’s 451. Made to follow on, they reached a relatively comfortable 195-3 in their second innings, largely thanks to an opening stand of 116 between Cowan and Watson.

Spin twins...India's Pragyan Ojha and Ravi Ashwin. — Spin twins…India’s Pragyan Ojha and Ravi Ashwin.

Concerns certainly remain over the Australian batsmen in turning conditions – especially the way that Watson and Cowan played with uncertainly against the wily Rangana Herath in their recent home series with Sri Lanka, and that was in unhelpful spinning conditions.

The quartet of Ashwin, Harbhajan, Ojha and Jadeja may not be the potent a force of the famous Indian quartet of the 60’s and 70’s in Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Bishan Bedi, but they have the skills to worry the visitors nonetheless.

The Australians struggle against slow bowling has not gone unnoticed by the Indian’s and they can expect slow turning wickets to be produced for all four Tests.

When facing the spinners it will be important for the Australians to rotate the strike as often as possible and not just get struck between hitting boundaries and defending. With four left-handers in the top six, (Warner, Cowan, Hughes and Wade) the Indian off-spinners will fancy their chances of getting regular breakthroughs and getting into Henriques and the bowlers early on.

On the other hand the Aussies must take heart from the way that the English Batsmen (Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior) in particular played Ashwin and Ojha after their disastrous first innings decapitation in Ahmedabad.

Ojha finished the England series join wicket taker alongside Graeme Swann with 20 wickets at 30.85, while Ashwin was disappointing in taking 14 wickets at 52.64. Together the pair bowled the majority of India’s overs across the series with a combined 491.1 overs between them out of India’s total of 839.3 throughout the four Tests.

Harbhajan played only one Test of that series but has an excellent record at home against the Australians. He has taken 81 wickets at 24.48 in his 12 Tests to date, although his bunny Ponting is no longer in the Australian side and his effectiveness and confidence in the longer form of the game has also waned over the past couple of years as he has tended to operate more defensively.

The fact that Australia have averaged less than 32 with the bat in India since 1995 doesn’t bode well. They can though fall back on the knowledge that they are the last side before England to beat the Indians in a Test series on their own soil.

How will Australia replace Mr. Cricket?

January 31, 2013October 26, 2015Posted in International CricketLeave a comment

When Cricket Australia announces their Test squad for their tour of India on Thursday, for the first time in 79 Tests it will not include the familiar name of Mike Hussey.

It has now been a month since Hussey decided to step away from the international spotlight, and the search for his predecessor is still no closer to its conclusion.

Sorely missed...Mike Hussey walk to the crease for the last time in Australian colours. — Sorely missed…Mike Hussey walks to the crease for the final time in Australian colours.

When Hussey announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket on Saturday 29^th December, it came from nowhere. Typical of the man, he had wanted to announce his retirement on a quite note. He has after all gone about his career for Australia in a low key manner and with minimum fuss.

The day he announced his retirement, the cricketing public were mourning the loss of Channel 9 broadcaster Tony Greig and Hussey’s retirement took second fiddle.

He celebrated his final Test match against the Sri Lankan’s at the SCG with an unbeaten second innings contribution of 27, leading Australia home with a typically calm and efficient batting display.

Hussey’s decision to retire certainly came as an unwanted surprise to the Australian selectors – who would have thought that they would be able to rely on his availability until at least the end of 2013.

Australia’s 2013 schedule is no doubt their most challenging in recent years. A four-Test tour of India is followed by a summer in England, firstly with the Champions Trophy and secondly with a hugely important five-match Ashes series. Whilst the winter sees them host England in five more Ashes Test matches.

The year will be a test of both Australia’s physical and mental capabilities, without Hussey’s experience, their task becomes much more difficult.

With Ricky Ponting having also retired recently, the Aussie middle order is as thin as it has been since Allan Border’s side in the mid-eighties.

Hussey leaves the game with 6,235 runs at 51.52 with 19 Test hundreds to his name – certainly big shoes to fill, especially considering that in 2012 he averaged 59.86 with the bat, unlike Ponting, Hussey ended his career at the top of his game. He has left people asking: “Why did you retire” instead of “Why didn’t you retire.”

While Hussey leaves the game as a modern day great, the search for his replacement is a concern for the Australians especially with such a huge year ahead of them.

They must also decide whether they are going to continue with playing six frontline batsmen or if they are willing to push up Matthew Wade to bat in Hussey’s number six spot and pick an allrounder at number seven.

Another problem they have faced is the scheduling of the Australian summer. Until the past week, none of the potential replacements for Hussey have played any form of first-class cricket since the end of November as the Big Bash League took centre stage during the past two months.

With the tour of India coming up in the next month, the most first-class cricket any player will play will be limited to just a couple of matches. The timing of the ODI series with the West Indies also doesn’t help and word is that the Australians will pull out some of their players half way through that series so that they can prepare for the Indian series.

With Philip Hughes seemingly already having cemented his place as Ponting’s replacement for the near future, I look at Australia’s potential replacements for Hussey in the Test side.

Glenn Maxwell (24, Victoria) – The 24-year-old off-spinning allrounder was called into the Australian Test squad as cover for Shane Watson for the final Test of the recently concluded Sri Lankan series, but was over looked as the Aussies went in with a five-man bowling attack.

Maxwell has a career first-class average of 42 for Victoria but has struggled in his handful of opportunities in Sheffield Shield cricket this season averaging just over 30, doubts certainly remain over his abilities with the bat in the longer form of the game, one such problem arises with his State often batting him as low as number 8.

One thing that has kept the selectors keen is his so-called ‘X-factor’ – a trait which led to him winning both his ODI and T20I debuts in 2012 after fine form with Hampshire in the English T20 competition.

Maxwell’s batting remains fragile in first-class cricket, and his ability with the ball alone shouldn’t warrant him a place on the tour to India, where he could end up looking out of the depth as Cameron White did on Australia’s 2008 tour of India.

Usman Khawaja (26, Queensland) – Picked as many people’s favourite to fill the void left by Hussey, the Pakistani-born left-hander has already had a taste of Test cricket after making his debut in the final Ashes Test of the 10/11 series. A run of six Test matches during 2011 was followed with Khawaja being dropped after a poor series against New Zealand.

The disappointment of being dropped clearly hurt Khawaja and he made the decision to play county cricket for Derbyshire during the 2012 season. His returns for the East Midland’s side were solid if not spectacular and he still found himself looking in from the outside in terms of Test selection. But like Hughes he decided to leave New South Wales in search of better batting wickets and started the Shield season playing for Queensland.

The change of scenery has clearly had a positive effect on his game as he has racked up 438 runs at 39.81 in tough batting conditions, none more so than his superb 138 against Tasmania in Hobart, where no one else went past 49 in the match.

Doubts remain over his ability to rotate the strike often enough but it’s likely that Khawaja will see some playing time for Australia’s Test side over the course of the year. A big opportunity waits for him to improve on his substandard Test batting average of a touch under 30.

Alex Doolan (27, Tasmania) – Probably the most deserving batsman to replace Hussey after fine run of scores for both Tasmania and Australia A this season have led to ‘Dools’ scoring a superb 570 runs first-class from six matches at an average of 81.42.

This included an excellent unbeaten 161 against a touring South African attack that compromised of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Imran Tahir. Despite his hundred against the Proteas, Doolan was over looked for the vacant number three Test spot in favour of Rob Quiney, who had scored 85 in the same innings.

Doolan has the experience of having played 37 first-class matches since his debut four years ago and also has the best recent Shield form of any of the candidates.

George Bailey (30, Tasmania) – Doolan’s state captain at Tasmania and Australia’s current T20 skipper, Bailey is on the selectors radar because of his strong leadership skills rather than his extraordinary first-class form.

After been named Australia’s T20 captain in 2011-12, despite not having played for his country in the format, his form over the past few years has been steady. To date he has averaged close to 40 in his 17 ODI’s and 29 in his 13 T20I’s, although his first-class form so far this season has been underwhelming with just 169 runs in six innings.

The selectors certainly like the look of what Bailey can offer in the shorter forms – But is his technique up to the spinning wickets of India or the green tops in England? A productive early season spell as captain of Hampshire could help his cause for Ashes selection.

Brad Haddin (35, New South Wales) – The veteran glovesman can certainly count himself unlucky to currently be out of the Australian Test set-up, but his leadership experience and 2012-13 form should ensure he makes the trips to India and England.

After scoring 2257 runs in 43 Tests as wicketkeeper between 2008-2012, Haddin relinquished the gloves to Matthew Wade after making himself unavailable for last year’s Test series of the West Indies. Such has been Wade’s form since then that the only way Haddin would secure a return to the side would be as a frontline batsman.

Given Haddin’s recent form in Shield cricket (6 innings, 337 runs at 67.40) and his standing as second only to Michael Clarke in his ability to play spin bowling, he should make the trip to India. Likewise with his experience of keeping in England and Wade’s lack of, he should make the tour as back-up keeper.

Joe Burns (23, Queensland) – A left field choice and the youngest of the potential Hussey replacements, the 23-year-old has enjoyed a fine season for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash, although he remains a work in progress in Shield cricket.

A confident striker of the ball, Burns only made his first-class debut two years ago but has since become a fixture in the Queensland top order as well as making his Australia A debut in England last June.

Although his Shield form this season has been disappointing, he has averaged just 30.50 compared with his career average of 42.28, he remains a talented cricketer and it’s surely only a matter of time before he is given his chance to impress on the International stage.

Steven Smith (23, New South Wales) – Like Burns, Smith is also just 23, but unlike the Queenslander, Smith has already had international experience with 33 ODI’s and five Tests to his name.

Smith made his Test debut almost three years ago against Pakistan in England after he was seen as a legspinning-allrounder, but has since played just five Tests and averages a less than appealing 28.77 with the bat and 73.33 with the ball.

His legspin has been shown up at Test level and the fact that he rarely gets the ball in Shield cricket suggests he is now seen as a batsman foremost.

He has certainly shown promise with the bat in recent years and reports are out that he is on the verge of selection for the Indian tour, this will more than likely be as a back-up batsmen though and not as a direct replacement for Hussey.

In eight innings for New South Wales this season he has scored 296 runs at 37. Despite his inability to turn starts into hundreds, he remains a player the selectors have invested a lot of time into and it won’t be long until they try and find a way to reintroduce him into the set-up.

With the Australian selectors set to name a 17-strong squad for the tour of India it remains to be seen as to who will step in and replace the dependable Hussey or if they will score heavily enough in India to book their place for the back-to-back Ashes series later in the year.