Jackson Bird

[PintSzedSlasher]

Except at the time, Mennie was the best bowler in SA, because Chadd Sayers was coming off a pretty average and inconsistent couple of seasons (32 wickets @ 27.78 in 2015/16, 12 wickets @ 31.50 in 2014/15) compared to what he eventually produced in 2016/17. That he isn't a complete bunny with the bat is an added bonus (seem to recall him being touted as a bowling all-rounder in his early days, but results with the willow haven't really bore out anything more than standard #9 batsman results).

Even factoring in Sayers' big year in 2016/17, Mennie's strike rate and economy rate in Shield cricket over the past 2 1/2 years are virtually identical to him. The idea that Sayers is somehow several levels above, and that CA "accidentally picked the wrong one", or that there was NSW bias at play (Mennie is a New South Welshman originally) is silly. He performed in the Shield, and was deservedly next in line.

Was a bit of a throw away comment, that analysis is fair.

Mennie also took 17 wickets @ 56 the year before his haul, 1 good season doesn't generally get you a test cap but the fact he could bat in this case put him above Bird who should have had the call up instead.

Mennie can do a workhorse job at State level but I don't think he will ever be a good test level bowler imo.

 

[corbies]

Joe Mennie got this treatment last year, despite performing better in his lone Test (didn't get carted, just didn't take many wickets) than Bird did this Boxing Day. Apparently he was never good, and there was never any basis for his selection, despite being the reigning leading wicket-taker in Shield cricket (51 wickets @ 21.21 in 2015/16), and continuing with pretty much the same quality form when returning to South Australia since, and adding another string to his bow by being the co-leading wicket-taker in the JLT Cup this year (after previously being a fairly mediocre limited-overs bowler).

You can hardly compare the performance of Bird in this test with the performance of Mennie in his lone test. Bird's was on one of the dullest pitch produced for an Australian test match in 10 years. Mennie's was on the one of the greenest produced in Australia in the last 10 years (possibly 2nd to Hobart 2011 only). In that test Mennie looked unthreatening at best with his wicket coming from a half-flick, hall pull thing from Bavuma. The selectors probably had/have every right to assume that if he couldn't take wickets there, he was unlikely to be a success at test level. The same can not be said of Bird after this MCG test.

 

[Outshined]

He was on a hiding to nothing playing on that pitch given the type of bowler he is.

It'd be ridiculous to put a line through him with an away Ashes series on the horizon.

 

[Hellgood]

Joe Mennie got this treatment last year, despite performing better in his lone Test (didn't get carted, just didn't take many wickets) than Bird did this Boxing Day. Apparently he was never good, and there was never any basis for his selection, despite being the reigning leading wicket-taker in Shield cricket (51 wickets @ 21.21 in 2015/16), and continuing with pretty much the same quality form when returning to South Australia since, and adding another string to his bow by being the co-leading wicket-taker in the JLT Cup this year (after previously being a fairly mediocre limited-overs bowler).

I think the issue everyone had was not that it was Mennie over Sayers, but the clear error of methodology behind Mennie over Bird. Just weird how he suddenly had leapfrogged (with the irrelevant batting aspect officially cited as rationale by the selectors) despite not having the respectable credentials at test level nor was in substantially better form at domestic level.

I feel for Mennie as it's harsh he's flippantly considered a spud based upon one test by an ignorant public as well as many on bigfooty who don't follow shield cricket, but he should not have been selected in the first place and this was quickly rectified.

 

[Zach Package]

I don't even think he bowled that badly

 

[Demosthenes]

Mennie was a terrible selection and let's not insult Bird by mentioning the two in the same breath.

 

[Badesumofu]

Some of the posts about Bird here are real head-scratchers. Have to wonder if all the T20 has left some people with the attention-span of a goldfish. Bird has never been anything but a handy backup who has never been disappointing in that role until last week. This, by the way, was on a pitch that was rated worse than any other Test pitch in Australia since pitches have received official ratings. I'm not going to try to claim that Bird bowled well but was unlucky, but he did have a catch dropped from his bowling. He did bowl well at times but not consistently enough.

People want to write his career off based on one bad performance. People want to proclaim that they really knew better than the selectors the whole time and that [insert personal favourite] would have no doubt done better because [reasons].

I doubt Bird will ever be a first-choice paceman for Australia but he will rightly continue to be one of the first players the selectors turn to when we need a backup option.

 

[Yoda_]

I don't even think he bowled that badly

Didn't look threatening

 

[Upgrayedd]

It was 100% the right choice for us to expose him to quality opposition (I know) considering he is a decent at swinging it and we're about to head to South Africa

Showed when he managed to hit the middle of Cooks bat most times

In saying that he looked quite average. Happy to give him the benefit of the doubt saying the MCG pitch was putrid, but wasn't the best game to try to crack into the 11.