View Full Version : Examples of NSW bias from the selectors
There's been a lot of talk about this for years, especially since Steve Smith was called into the squad for the WACA test match. So I thought it would be prudent to attempt to construct a list of examples where bias towards NSW players was exhibited by the selectors.
For mine, there are two types of these selections.
The ones where a player has been chosen where he was no where near the level, plucked from obscurity, and of course wearing the baggy blue (except in the case of Warner who was yet to play first class cricket before representing his country).
And the other ones where a NSW player has a solid record, along with a number of other contenders, who usually have stronger records than the NSWman, where the NSWman tends to get the nod. This can include selections for team balance.
Steve Smith - Drafted into the Australian test squad after averaging something like 75 with the ball in first class cricket. Yes he can bat, and he may become a good spinner one day too, but surely there are others who are ahead of him that don't wear the baggy blue.
Burt Cockley - Sent over to India as a replacement for our injured players, Cockley had impressive figures in one day cricket for NSW of 5 wickets @ 43, conceeding 6.7 runs per over (these stats are current, may have been different at time of selection).
Beau Casson -Knew he wasn't being considered in WA for a national berth, so like so many before him, he went to NSW. Sure enough within two seasons he was headed to the caribbean as number two to McGill. When McGill retired from cricket, Beau got the natural progression from the baggy blue to the baggy green.
Stuart Clark - Now here is one where the NSW bias actually helped. Stuart was one of a number of solid Shield bowlers, who were pressing for a national berth. The NSW bias resulted in Clark getting the nod, and he went on to prosper, with his bowling average better at test level than it is at domestic level. Was this great insight from the selectors, or did the bias just pay off this time?
Simon Katich - Here is an interesting one. Was brought into the side at the expense of Martin Love because he could bowl some spin on a turning SCG pitch. Yes the Kat took 6 wickets that game, but he never was really able to consolidate his spot and make some solid runs in the middle order. Meanwhile, Love who averaged 46 from 5 tests, was a victim of the NSW bias and was never to be seen in Australian colours again, even though Katich rarely bowled after this game. It's great to see the Kat now consolidate his spot in the side and make some runs.
I'm sure there are more, but I've gotta head out. Feel free to add your own.
GoDoggies
16 Dec 2009, 16:39
Add Moises Henriques to that list.
NSW bias for the last 2 is pathetic whinging. Casson as NSW bias is clutching at straws. White, Krezja, Dan Cullen, Hogg, Hauritz have all been tried for no success, as a spinner at the moment you only need a good game at the right time to jump into calculations, and Casson had a good end of season and shield final.
First two I can handle but neither has played a test so it doesn't bother me at all.
Bombers_Forever
16 Dec 2009, 17:20
Katich I disagree with - at least he has done something to justify his selection.
Steven Smith is the latest - he might be able to bat, but his first class figures are pathetic. If he is the next best spinner in the country, Australian cricket is in huge trouble. Krejza really must have annoyed people for some reason - his debut is nothing to be sneezed at and yet he can't get a look in. The fact he is even in consideration is just showing how biased the selectors are.
Add to the bias from the media - the NSW papers today covered the "unknown" Clint McKay. If they watched any cricket besides the Blues, they will seen McKay's figures over a couple of years in all forms of the game have been good. Maybe if they paid attention to other states, that would help (the latest was Kwaja is the next Aussie Test batsmen after one hundred and a low score in the second dig)
Steve Smith & Burt Cockley don't deserve to be in here. They didn't get picked for the team in the end.
Casson was probably our best 2nd spinner at that time. You should have picked Hauritz here. As he was plucked from obscurity.
Clark was one of a few fast bowlers picked for Australia in the OD team after the Ashes 05 defeat, Mick Lewis and Brett Dorey were also picked remember? Obviously when McGrath went down they decided Clark was the best man for the test team.
And in Katich you say 'but he never was really able to consolidate his spot and make some solid runs in the middle order', let us not forget that he made 120 odd and 80 odd at the SCG in Steve's Waugh last test, before being dropped for the next test for......Andrew Symonds.
keep in mind i'm trying to have a light hearted look at this, however I think all my main points are valid...
Katich I disagree with - at least he has done something to justify his selection.
He has now that he's more mature and at the top of the order... But in between 2003 and 2005 he played as a middle order batsman averaging 36 with the bat, during a time when the depth of first class batsman was strong...
and while he took 6 wickets against india in his 2nd test (his first test since 2001), over the next 21 tests he only took 4 wickets... he was selected ahead of Love purely for the fact he could bowl wrist spin, yet did nothing after this match to justify his selection... his numbers with the bat weren't great, and he didn't take many more wickets... NSW bias ensured that he stayed in the team, when Martin Love was clearly more deserving of the spot...
the point some are missing is that NSW bias does not necessarily mean that the player can't play, it's just that they always seem to receive more opportunities than others who are just as, if not more deserving... this is an example of one of those cases...
Simon Cook - A Victorian, he couldn't get a game for the Vics, so he headed to Canada. Sure enough, with an injury with Glenn McGrath this would've left only 3 NSWman in the side in Taylor and the Waugh bros. The selectors couldn't have this, there would've been as many Victorians (Elliott, Reiffel and Warne) in the side as NSWman... There's no way that could happen, so they took the next best bowler from the blues, apparently Simon Cook. Played 2 tests against the pittiful Kiwis (Parore batting at 3), he managed to get a 5 for, before being dropped back to NSW... Within a season he wouldn't get a game for them, tried his luck back with the Vics but to no avail, his first class career was over.
Moisés Henriques - Well what do we say about this chap. Long been touted as the next star from New South. Yet to prove much for NSW but has already been given 2 one day international births, and a twenty20 birth. Good to see selectors are blooding youth, but that youth just happens to come from NSW. There are plenty of other options out there, but why pass up the chance to get another NSWman wearing green and gold?
David Warner -Probably another controvertial one, but looking at his stats he's a clear case of NSW bias. I thought he hit some great innings in the twenty20 big bash, and was elevated into the national side pretty quickly. In the big bash, in the two seasons prior to his call up, he scored 170 odd runs at 25, finishing outside the top 15 on the batting list for both seasons. Yet somehow, he's thrust into the Australian team from nowhere. He's even gotten some one day games, in which for the Aussies he's averaging 15... Showed quite a bit since, but the same old story is, so many other players have shown just as much, yet it's the NSWman who gets the opportunity.
Anthony Stuart -Played 3 one day games including a hat trick for Australia. Not much else to report here. It's hard to remember back that far, his one day record was solid for NSW. But his star faded quite quickly, not playing for NSW any more shortly after his short stint at international level. Again, surely there were better options avaliable at the time?
I think the best way to summarise all this is not by looking at the players I've listed so much, but ask how many similar stories are there for players from other states? How many players out there had similar accomplishments at first class or list A level, yet didn't receive the opportunity for Australia... You should also ask, how many NSWman had solid records for their state, yet didn't receive an opportunity (not the likes of Greg Mail please). I would imagine this number is pretty small...
Bomber Bears
16 Dec 2009, 22:12
Lets have a look at some other players from the last 25 years debuted from NSW
Taylor
Slater
Waugh
Waugh
Bevan
Clarke
Jaques
Hughes
Haddin
Mcgrath
Lee
Clark
Matthews
Macgill
Bracken
Bollinger
All with pretty decent records in test cricket since their debut (Bevan and Bracken more in the ODI scene but still been very good).
Not too mention that Katich has been a star at the Blues.
And that Katich scored 200 runs across two inning at the SCG and got dropped for Symonds
I think they realise that Bluebaggers do a pretty good job for Australia, which is why they occasionally punt on less experienced ones to do a decent job. They realise we are made from tougher stuff here.
Mind you, for every Casson, Henriques and Smith there is a Hauritz(chosen from Qld), Cullen, Muller, Brad Young etc etc, from other states, who have been at least as mediocre
Black Thunder
16 Dec 2009, 23:37
Anthony Stuart -Played 3 one day games including a hat trick for Australia. Not much else to report here. It's hard to remember back that far, his one day record was solid for NSW. But his star faded quite quickly, not playing for NSW any more shortly after his short stint at international level. Again, surely there were better options avaliable at the time?
yeah he was elevated very quickly (5 one-dayers, 12 wkts @ 16 at time of call up, he also took 21 wkts @ 14 in sheffield shield in 95/96), but there was a bit of an injury crisis that summer (96/97) - Gillespie went down early after carving up in 95/96 and getting his Australian call up at the start of the summer, Bichel was injury prone then Rieffel went down in the middle of a ODI.
He was battling with the likes of Jo Angel, Brendan Julian, Paul Wilson, Shane George. Though Michael Kasprowicz was unlucky not to get the call up at the time.
i remember he injured his foot not long after taking that hat trick and wasn't the same again.
Warner: Hit two big hundreds in the weeks leading up to the T20, everyone says that we should pick younger guys for T20, we did, and then he performed in it. He deserved his initial matches for Australia.
The 747
17 Dec 2009, 07:53
Mind you, for every Casson, Henriques and Smith there is a Hauritz(chosen from Qld), Cullen, Muller, Brad Young etc etc, from other states, who have been at least as mediocre
This defies belief. For every NSW player plucked from nowhere there is a comparable one from the other states? Turn it up :rolleyes:
This defies belief. For every NSW player plucked from nowhere there is a comparable one from the other states? Turn it up :rolleyes:
Maybe at a stretch all the other states combined... But definitely not from each of the other states, and that's the point I guess.
ben_cats_fan
17 Dec 2009, 08:44
David Warner -Probably another controvertial one, but looking at his stats he's a clear case of NSW bias. I thought he hit some great innings in the twenty20 big bash, and was elevated into the national side pretty quickly. In the big bash, in the two seasons prior to his call up, he scored 170 odd runs at 25, finishing outside the top 15 on the batting list for both seasons. Yet somehow, he's thrust into the Australian team from nowhere. He's even gotten some one day games, in which for the Aussies he's averaging 15... Showed quite a bit since, but the same old story is, so many other players have shown just as much, yet it's the NSWman who gets the opportunity.
I may be wrong, but I thought Warner was picked for the T20 match based on his ODD form for NSW that season, particularly his matches against Tasmania :(
The 747
17 Dec 2009, 09:51
I may be wrong, but I thought Warner was picked for the T20 match based on his ODD form for NSW that season, particularly his matches against Tasmania :(
More to the point is if Warner played for another state (say he was Travis Birt for argument's sake) would everyone think he would have the same chance of being picked?
I don't really mind the NSW bias TBH, at least through that we do get a look at some young talent and NSW players have served us very well over the years. Much prefer their approach to producing Australian players rather than the Qld or Vic approach of dominating the shield with nearly-good-enough 30 year olds.
What does annoy me is brainless posters from Sydney who try to argue that there is no bias and all selections (Henriques, Cockley & Smith being the recent standouts) are on merit. :rolleyes:
I may be wrong, but I thought Warner was picked for the T20 match based on his ODD form for NSW that season, particularly his matches against Tasmania :(
He made a big hundred, 165*... That certainly bumped his numbers up for the season, placed him 6th on the run scorers list... Take out that knock and he averaged 30 for the year....
Others have certainly done a lot more, and not been given the opportunities he was...
Hellgood
17 Dec 2009, 10:52
Henriques, Cockley and Smith were examples of this bias. Simply being picked because they're young, had one or two good games....and they're from NSW. Warner should never have been picked for the ODI's last year. The selectors love picking them, so I can see why people outside of NSW get annoyed when there are people outside of NSW who deserve the equal oppurtunity, sometimes it works well though, but I would like to see players from other states given the oppurtunity to play for Australia (or tours)
and how did I miss?
Nathan Hauritz - Now, it could only be a NSWman to get a test call up when you're not playing first class cricket for your state. In 2007-08 Hauritz played two first class matches for NSW, without taking a wicket. The following year, he played four first class matches for New South, only this many because he couldn't make their side, or because he was drafted into the test team. Could you imagine the outcry if a player from a state other than NSW couldn't get a game for their state, but could get a game from their country... At least David Warner was playing a different form of the game than the one where he wasn't selected for NSW, but Hauritz seemingly wasn't good enough to be a regular in the NSW 4 day side, yet he's the best spinner in the country to play 5 day cricket for Australia... Only in NSW...
Much prefer their approach to producing Australian players rather than the Qld or Vic approach of dominating the shield with nearly-good-enough 30 year olds.
Pretty easy to select young players when anyone who shows some iota of ability in your side gets selected for higher honours.
The Reaper
17 Dec 2009, 11:10
and how did I miss?
Nathan Hauritz - Now, it could only be a NSWman to get a test call up when you're not playing first class cricket for your state. In 2007-08 Hauritz played two first class matches for NSW, without taking a wicket. The following year, he played four first class matches for New South, only this many because he couldn't make their side, or because he was drafted into the test team. Could you imagine the outcry if a player from a state other than NSW couldn't get a game for their state, but could get a game from their country... At least David Warner was playing a different form of the game than the one where he wasn't selected for NSW, but Hauritz seemingly wasn't good enough to be a regular in the NSW 4 day side, yet he's the best spinner in the country to play 5 day cricket for Australia... Only in NSW...
I'd say they made the correct decision with Hauritz
The Reaper
17 Dec 2009, 11:13
Pretty easy to select young players when anyone who shows some iota of ability in your side gets selected for higher honours.
it also helps when you give your youngsters a game
I'd say Hauritz's previous record for Australia, not outstanding but not disgraceful either, played a bigger role in him getting the call up, along with the complete lack of other spinners available.
Cousin Jed
17 Dec 2009, 11:25
Much prefer their approach to producing Australian players rather than the Qld or Vic approach of dominating the shield with nearly-good-enough 30 year olds.
Selector 1: "Glen McGrath just got injured, who will we pick to replace him?"
Selector 2: Shit. Qld told Andy Bichel and Kasprowicz to retire so all we have is a bunch of 19 year olds
peternorth
17 Dec 2009, 14:39
Simon Katich .
did he get a gig for australia as a west aussie? i remember an interview with him where he said one of the main reasons he went to nsw was to further his prospects of playing for australia?
one of my fave picks was gavin robertson. great mates with steve waugh
another one was bracken. nsw had barely played a game that season due to bad weather but bracken was picked cause according to steve waugh "he's had a good pre season"
Add to the bias from the media - the NSW papers today covered the "unknown" Clint McKay
when sports news is basically consolidated into foxsports (or the official nsw sports media arm) of course their own players will get the most attention. how often do you see nsw players, past or present, on their panels? nathan bracken features on all their summer campaigns. btw foxsports stuff isnt confined to cricket - its all sports.
Nathan Hauritz
he's been servicable ill give him that. but didnt he move to nsw to get more games for australia (or recognition)? why did he leave qld?
I'd say Hauritz's previous record for Australia, not outstanding but not disgraceful either, played a bigger role in him getting the call up, along with the complete lack of other spinners available.
true!
Selector 1: "Glen McGrath just got injured, who will we pick to replace him?"
Selector 2: Shit. Qld told Andy Bichel and Kasprowicz to retire so all we have is a bunch of 19 year olds
if we wanna go along the conspiracy theory line:
Selector 1 (chairman): we need to go for youth, the team's getting too old!
Selector 2: how about XYZ? He's making runs for SA year after year?
Selector 3: how about ABC from WA? Run machine! I say ABC and XYZ are what you're looking for. They're young and scoring at will!
Selector 1: hmm, well NSW bloke isnt making as many runs as SA bloke...
Selector 2: yeah but you said we need youth?
Selector 1: nah, let's go with NSW man. We'll just tell the fans that its a tough series and we dont want to expose a youngster yet.
Hauritz left Queensland as they didn't seem to want to play him anymore.