Australia's selectors face the backlash
Reaction to Australia’s Test squad still dominates the newspapers and Dean Jones tells The Australian the sacking of Brad Hodge for Damien Martyn could open the door for Matthew Hayden’s one-day return .
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
Reaction to Australia’s Test squad still dominates the newspapers and Dean Jones tells The Australian the sacking of Brad Hodge for Damien Martyn could open the door for Matthew Hayden’s one-day return.
"The World Cup is certainly not out of the question for Hayden given what we have seen over the last couple of days. With the selectors opting for Damien Martyn in the Test side again, clearly their thoughts have changed ...
"It's a little different now. The players are a lot fitter. It's like they've got 25-year-old bodies in 34-year-old blokes. I've got no hassles with Martyn being recalled. It was only a year ago that he almost won the international player of the year."
However, Graham Yallop, the former Test captain, was fuming after Hodge’s sacking and in the Herald Sun called for more action from Victoria’s selector Merv Hughes.
“This position is disgraceful and it sends the wrong message to all budding future Test cricketers," Yallop said. "If you are playing five Test matches and averaging 58, you are not necessarily guaranteed of being assured another game. That's unbelievable."
Andy Bichel tells AAP the selection policy has brought some unrest into the team.
Even Haroon Lorgat, South Africa’s chairman of selectors was surprised Hodge missed out. He speaks in the Sydney Morning Herald here.
Andrew Ramsey focusses on the Test squad’s previous errors in relation to the lack of warm-up games. In his column in The Australian he says a key lesson remains unlearned.
Peter English is former Australasia editor of ESPNcricinfo