Are Australia selectors scared of Phil Hughes?
Geoff Lemon, in the Guardian, wonders why the Australia selectors continue to ignore Phillip Hughes despite the batsman's strong show of form on the domestic circuit
ESPNcricinfo staff
13-Aug-2014
One of the latest setbacks in Australia batsman Phillip Hughes' career is his absence from the squad for the triangular series in Zimbabwe, despite the runs he has scored in the last month. A first-class hundred against India A was followed up by the first double-century in List A cricket in Australia but the batsman was still ignored. In a column for the Guardian, Geoff Lemon wonders whether the cold shoulder to Hughes is more a matter of perception, instead of fact.
The theory is that Hughes looks fragile. He's awkward to watch: hopping about at the crease, fidgeting, carving and swiping to score, poor at masking consternation. He can look terrible when he gets out, giving the impression that he's less in control at that moment than other players. But none of that should actually matter in the face of his effectiveness. He was mocked for his struggle with spin during the 2013 India tour, but learned from it to grind out two ungainly but effective innings. However much his technique is critiqued, it has dominated bowling attacks at all levels of the game.