Five Things, or, Lazy Summer

With the Test summer in the books and the, at times bizarre, limited overs series with Sri Lanka wrapped up, here are five thing we’ve learnt about the current state of Australian cricket.

1: Some old problems still remain
Take a look at this piece that I wrote in December 2010. Seriously. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

(Waiting…)

(Still waiting…)

(Watches Mitch Robinson Big Day Out video…)

(Shaking head.)

Finished? I mean, not to get too “I told ya so”, but doesn’t a lot of that make sense? And wouldn’t a lot of that ease the selection/rotation issues we’re currently having? Granted, some of the specific selections I suggested were off base (who is Mark Cameron?) but I don’t watch a lot of (read: any) state cricket, and I based most of my opinions on stats and exposed international form AND USING ONLY THAT I’ve arguably done a better job than the current selectors. It’s an indictment on CA management that in the two years and change since I offered some solutions the same problems remain. The “rotation policy” isn’t the problem it’s just how it’s managed.

2: Michael Clarke is the real deal
Clarke’s form with the bat, despite some recent injury concerns and a relatively poor one-day series, has been amazing. He is inspiring the same confidence when he comes to the middle as Ponting once did. I expect him to do equally as well in India and will need to be even better in England.

3: Australia are still desperately looking for an all-rounder (And the only true one wants to open the batting.)
Other than Shane Watson, they’ve looked at the ever-promising Moises Enriques, the slightly underwhelming Glenn Maxwell, the not-an-all-rounder’s-asshole Mitchell Johnson. And now The Age has even called for the thawing of Andrew McDonald. Here’s the deal with all-rounders; in Test cricket they’ve got to be able to hold their place as a specialist.

4: Glenn Maxwell is Australia’s best fielder since Andrew Symonds
I just hope he can develop with either bat or bowl, even a little, because if he can, he and Warner have cover-point sewn up for the next 8 years. And while he needs to earn his place as one-or-the-other in Test cricket, in the short forms it’s worth taking a punt on Maxwell. Much like Symonds, he has the ability to turn a game with a quick 40, a few wickets or by applying pressure in the field. And a game-changing x-factor type player is desperately missing from the current line-up.

5: George Bailey should be next in line for the Test team
I mean, he has to be, right? He has a good technique, a good temperament, an excellent pair of hands, the selectors obviously rate him and in a team crying out for some leadership and middle order stability, wouldn’t he offer exactly that? We were this close to Shane Watson captaining an Australian Test team. Let’s not get that close again.

Bonus Point: We’re less than two weeks away from NAB Cup action
And from my Mitch Duncan man-crush reaching uncomfortable levels.