Ex-selector Hughes says Johnson should play

Australia's recently axed selector Merv Hughes believes Mitchell Johnson should play the Adelaide Test, and Ben Hilfenhaus was the most disappointing of Australia's bowlers at the Gabba. Hughes was sacked in October, leaving no specialist bowling input in the four-man selection panel, and he thinks Johnson is being unfairly maligned after the Brisbane draw.

The selectors have added Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris to the squad for the Adelaide Test, which begins on Friday, and Johnson is considered the most likely man to be dropped for his 0 for 170. It was the worst match analysis in Johnson's Test career, but Hilfenhaus' 1 for 142 was also far from his best, and collectively the Australian attack took only 11 wickets in the match.

"Ben Hilfenhaus ... he was the guy up there that I expected, especially on the first day, to do a really good job," Hughes said on the Melbourne radio station SEN. "And probably his performance, for mine, is a little bit more disappointing than Mitchell's. Everyone is having a crack at Mitchell Johnson. Now if other bowlers have taken wickets, you can point the finger at Mitch and say 'mate, you have got to lift your game'.

"Adelaide is probably going to suit Mitchell Johnson a little bit better than Brisbane because it sort of slides on, his extra pace is going to be useful. I think we are just starting to get too critical. We are starting to expect a lot from a young man that, yes, he has got talent, but really hasn't matured or developed into the cricketer that he can be. And by cutting him short, and leaving him out of this Test match, it's going to dent his confidence more than anything else."

The Adelaide pitch is expected to be tough work for the fast men, and the short boundaries mean there won't be any leeway for bowlers who drop short. Harris is easily the most experienced of the Australian fast bowlers at the venue, having played most of his career at South Australia before switching to Queensland.

Neither Hilfenhaus nor Bollinger have a first-class five-for at Adelaide Oval, while Johnson has taken 31 first-class wickets there at 22.93 in six appearances, and Peter Siddle has a best of 5 for 27 despite playing only two matches there. Greg Chappell, Australia's full-time selector, said the panel was not worried about Johnson's Test form and realised that rotating their bowlers throughout the Ashes was an option.

"Worried is not a word I would use,'' Greg Chappell told the Sydney Morning Herald. "We obviously recognise he's not in the peak of form at the moment, so we're keen to see him back to that as soon as possible. Players go through ups and downs in various stages of their careers … He's still one of our key bowlers.

"We're conscious of the fact there's five matches in seven weeks. We were always going to look at playing horses for courses to get the best combinations for each wicket. For that reason primarily, also conscious of the fact we can't expect to take the same bowlers through five matches in seven weeks."