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Re: 4th Test - Australia v India - Adelaide
Please, enough nepotism. Neither of them have first-class records worthy of Test consideration, much less of an actual call-up: when was the last time we selected a no. 3 with a first-class batting average (35-ish) closer to Mitchell Johnson's (25-ish) than to, say, Michael Hussey's (50-ish)? It's ridiculous. Rahul Dravid has an average of 55 and is struggling at no.3, yet we think a guy with an all-rounder's batting average is going to make it? Much, much greater players than the Marshs never got remotely close to the same chances Shaun's gotten, and there are so many state bats with superior first-class records. The Marshs shouldn't even be in the picture, much less selected.
Players with their first-class records but with different surnames wouldn't even be on the radar and the more we can weed out selections based on 'mates', nepotism, favouritism etc. the better the LONG-TERM health of cricket in this country (because you'll get a bigger pool of potential applicants for Test positions -- stick with the secret handshake rubbish, especially those based on JUNIOR records FFS, and late-blossoming kids will self-select out for other sports, or gravitate to other pursuits and be lost to the Test scene).
It never ceases to amaze that a batsman with a 35 batting average is given every chance to cement a F-ING NO.3 spot (with everyone making excuses for your failures), while Khawaja, with an average closer to 50, is always first to make way. Must be great to be mates with everyone in the cricketing fraternity.
ps. Heck, just for comparison, Cameron White is the same age as Marsh (28) and has a far superior first-class batting average (close to 45 IIRC), and yet is in no-mans land re: Test selection, and was never considered good enough to be a top 6 batsman. If Cam White isn't good enough for Test cricket (and fair enough, he probably isn't), then Marsh shouldn't even be close (and he clearly isn't, based on ability alone).
Please, enough nepotism. Neither of them have first-class records worthy of Test consideration, much less of an actual call-up: when was the last time we selected a no. 3 with a first-class batting average (35-ish) closer to Mitchell Johnson's (25-ish) than to, say, Michael Hussey's (50-ish)? It's ridiculous. Rahul Dravid has an average of 55 and is struggling at no.3, yet we think a guy with an all-rounder's batting average is going to make it? Much, much greater players than the Marshs never got remotely close to the same chances Shaun's gotten, and there are so many state bats with superior first-class records. The Marshs shouldn't even be in the picture, much less selected.
Players with their first-class records but with different surnames wouldn't even be on the radar and the more we can weed out selections based on 'mates', nepotism, favouritism etc. the better the LONG-TERM health of cricket in this country (because you'll get a bigger pool of potential applicants for Test positions -- stick with the secret handshake rubbish, especially those based on JUNIOR records FFS, and late-blossoming kids will self-select out for other sports, or gravitate to other pursuits and be lost to the Test scene).
It never ceases to amaze that a batsman with a 35 batting average is given every chance to cement a F-ING NO.3 spot (with everyone making excuses for your failures), while Khawaja, with an average closer to 50, is always first to make way. Must be great to be mates with everyone in the cricketing fraternity.
ps. Heck, just for comparison, Cameron White is the same age as Marsh (28) and has a far superior first-class batting average (close to 45 IIRC), and yet is in no-mans land re: Test selection, and was never considered good enough to be a top 6 batsman. If Cam White isn't good enough for Test cricket (and fair enough, he probably isn't), then Marsh shouldn't even be close (and he clearly isn't, based on ability alone).
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