Another spinner bites the dust?

[The Fonz]

So that's the end of Steven Smith? I never thought he should have played in the first place but I can't help but feel for him after Hilditch's comments:

"We really made an assessment, and as I spoke to Steve about, that we didn't think he'd cemented a spot in the top six batters and we didn't think he'd cemented a spot as a spinner.

In the last test he played, he batted at 7 and was the 6th bowler used.

It seems like Cameron White and numerous others in recent times he was picked for a role that he never had ever chance of filling

 

[damochandler]

he was brought in to brighten the team up.

 

[Grimwood]

Jokes weren't good enough and his comic timing was poor.

 

[The 747]

Jokes weren't good enough and his comic timing was poor.

 

[Johnson#26]

Still thought his energy in the field was worth being ranked at 7 in the contract list.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Still thought his energy in the field was worth being ranked at 7 in the contract list.

Our contract list is looking more irrelevant by the minute. Maybe they will pick Kat again if Hughes stuffs up.

 

[Ian Dargie]

Our contract list is looking more irrelevant by the minute. Maybe they will pick Kat again if Hughes stuffs up.

It's fairly irrelevant to Test cricket, isn't it?

I read that Copeland, who doesn't have a central contract but is going to Sri Lanka, is on $75,000 a year. That's just his state contract. That was a good wage once upon a time, back in the amateur age.

It just goes to show that, although players and administrators talk about Test cricket being the priority, that goes out the window when it comes to contracts.

Also, on Hilditch and the selection of spinners, Brydon Coverdale skewers it nicely here: http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/content/current/story/524792.html

Particularly like Hilditch's bullshit quotes that accompanied the announcement of previous squads. All the poppycock about why they rate guys, about how they look forward to them developing – and they last one or two Tests before being discarded. It's just double-talk and these guys are making it up as they go along.

 

[dumb]

didn't hilditch call smith the best #6 in australia?

 

[Doodlesweaver]

It's fairly irrelevant to Test cricket, isn't it?

I read that Copeland, who doesn't have a central contract but is going to Sri Lanka, is on $75,000 a year. That's just his state contract. That was a good wage once upon a time, back in the amateur age.

It just goes to show that, although players and administrators talk about Test cricket being the priority, that goes out the window when it comes to contracts.

Also, on Hilditch and the selection of spinners, Brydon Coverdale skewers it nicely here: http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/content/current/story/524792.html

Particularly like Hilditch's bullshit quotes that accompanied the announcement of previous squads. All the poppycock about why they rate guys, about how they look forward to them developing – and they last one or two Tests before being discarded. It's just double-talk and these guys are making it up as they go along.

I've got to the point where I kind of look forward to Hilditch's bullshit at the announcement of squads. He's now saying that Shaun Marsh was ready for test cricket last summer but injuries got in the way.

The same Shaun Marsh who had just scored a ton in Shield before the Perth Ashes test and the same Shaun Marsh that Stuart Clark came out and pretty much said should be picked.

The thing about Hilditch is that he doesn't care that everything he spouts can be checked and shown to be crap, he just trots out this PR stuff like a little kid lying to his mum about who ate all the cake. It's bloody funny.

You'd think by now he'd have learnt not to trust his press release writers.

 

[PrideOf]

didn't hilditch call smith the best #6 in australia?

He did, but he never clarified if he was talking about cricket or not.

 

[The_Reaper]

didn't hilditch call smith the best #6 in australia?

He also thinks Clarke is suited for #4.

 

[dan warna]

Let NSW see if smith can bat, put him at 3 or 4 and see how he performs given clarke and usman are going to be fixtures in the test side.

 

[western royboy]

Just when you thought the CA Selection Process and Contracts gets any more ridiculous they come up with this - WOW just WOW.

The Psychiatrists of Australia just need to form a queue outside each State Teams Change Rooms and start booking appointments.

 

[Tom12]

Smith was flashy, but probably not up to test standard yet, on that logic they probably felt it best that they keep experimenting.

 

[frankrizzo]

Smith was the new adam hollioake, not really a test batsman not a test bowler just there more in hope than anything.

It's no surprise either, poor and desperate test teams tend to gamble on these flawed jack of all trades master of none types in the hope they miraculously turn into a superstar.

 

[Hellgood]

So whilst Copeland earns $75k a year travelling around the world bowling long spells to guys like Tendulkar, Sangakarra, Cook and Kallis trying to win us test matches, Chris Gayle and Shahid Afridi will swagger in slog a few sixes off the might of bowlers like Scott Coyte, go out partying each night, take a couple of Fox Sports presenters back to their provided hotel apartments and jet out with over $250k in their bank accounts.

If this manafactured, franchised Big Bash thing doesn't die a quick death, test cricket will be dead in Australia within 10 years.

 

[Simple Jack]

Hildtich is so incompetent*. What do you expect when you put someone in the test team who;
Had a FC bowling average worse than Punters.
Learned his batting technique from stick cricket.
Can field a bit.

You get someone who;
Can't bowl.
Can't bat.
Can field a bit.

*If he is on the England payroll and his goal is to systematically destroy Australian cricket from the inside, he's achieving his goal brilliantly.

 

[legend166]

I think a lot of people in here are underrating his batting ability. Yes he probably shouldn't have been picked and I'm fine with him being put back into the Shield. He's already shown he can bat at that level. Hopefully he does it again. You don't score four centuries in one season at Shield level as a 20 year old without being able to bat. For reference, Ferguson and Shaun Marsh only have 6 each in their careers.

If anything I think this idea that he's a better ODI/T20 batsman than a Test player is what's hurt him. His record in FC cricket suggest exactly the opposite. No idea why he was being used as a lower order slogger.

 

[Phone]

he never should have been picked because Hauritz never should have been dropped and four seamers never should have been played @ Perth and Melbourne. But they refused to pick Hauritz, went with 4 seamers - and also Watson too - and needed a spinning all-rounder option. He was the best (the only really) option. Me? Well I never would have dropped Hauritz.....

and btw the refusal to pick the best australian test team is more likely to kill test cricket here than a 4 week comp in the middle of the summer that people actually go to and watch.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Smith isn't even a spinner... He is an allrounder who bats 6 or 7 who can bowl some leg spin. Problem was Australian Cricket have been trying to make him into something he never was and never will be.

 

[Simple Jack]

I think a lot of people in here are underrating his batting ability. Yes he probably shouldn't have been picked and I'm fine with him being put back into the Shield. He's already shown he can bat at that level. Hopefully he does it again. You don't score four centuries in one season at Shield level as a 20 year old without being able to bat. For reference, Ferguson and Shaun Marsh only have 6 each in their careers.

If anything I think this idea that he's a better ODI/T20 batsman than a Test player is what's hurt him. His record in FC cricket suggest exactly the opposite. No idea why he was being used as a lower order slogger.

Do you even watch cricket, or did you just look at some statistics and decide he's the second coming of Bradman.

He has an eye like a dead fish and no technique whatsoever. When he's in form he can hit the ball but when he's not (like, yaknow, last summer when he was picked in the test team) he can't rely on his technique to dig in and get some time in the middle to try and work out of his form slump (i.e. like every consistently good batsman). Couple that with his bowling which was average at best (not to mention, horrendous compared to Hauritz and SOK) and you get exactly what the selectors should have expected. Poor performance.

If they're going to take advantage of his occasional batting ability they'd have to pick him when in form, then drop him as soon as he loses it. And how good is that really going to be long term for the team?

 

[legend166]

Not sure where I compared him to Bradman.

His Shield record suggests he has much more than 'occasional' batting ability.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Not sure where I compared him to Bradman.

His Shield record suggests he has much more than 'occasional' batting ability.

His technique is horrible but he has the potential to be a bloody good batsmen.. His first class averages speak for themselves in this regard..

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Smith was the new adam hollioake, not really a test batsman not a test bowler just there more in hope than anything.

It's no surprise either, poor and desperate test teams tend to gamble on these flawed jack of all trades master of none types in the hope they miraculously turn into a superstar.

He may develop though, he's very young. Half the problem for all these youngsters is the hype around them. CA does them no favours as it actively encourages all that crap. Look at the rubbish already written about Cummins. You can't make someone a star before they've done anything.

Smith will probably end up being a decent part-timer as a bowler and they are handy to have.

 

[Bomber Bears]

He was in poor form last year and should never have picked. At his best his batting is pretty good, not a great technique but a very good eye and a surprisingly good temprement, at least in the Shield.

But he should never have been chosen in the test side last summer.

Of course, if North had been dropped when he should've been Smith could've had some run of test cricket coming off a good season and we at least would've had an idea by The Ashes of what our best lineup was, rather than making it up as they went along.

Smith's a talented player who needs a few more years to develop, may turn into a very good cricketer may not ever make it.