Selectors miss the boat on Krejza
Robert Craddock writes in the Daily Telegraph that the omission of Jason Krejza at the Gabba highlights the muddle-headed thinking of Australia’s selectors.
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
Robert Craddock writes in the Daily Telegraph that the omission of Jason Krejza at the Gabba highlights the muddle-headed thinking of Australia’s selectors.
Once so decisive, they are second, third and fourth guessing their options and it is causing widespread insecurity. Will Australia really need five seam bowlers on a green-topped wicket against a club strength New Zealand batting line-up? It's a bit like hiring a SWAT team to chase the neighbour's cat out of your backyard. One of them - probably either Symonds or Watson - should have given way for spinner Krejza.
Australia's omission of Krejza is not a historical howler because the wicket was more suited to other bowlers. But they should have played him anyway. Shane Warne's old adage "if the wicket will take seam it will take turn" couldn't save Krezja. Nor could a 12-wicket Test debut. Nor could those two dirty words "over rate". Australia would have played him if McGrath and Gillespie were still around. But they no longer trust their quicks to do the job, even on a seamers' paradise. It's a worry.
In the Herald Sun, Jon Pierik argues that there are plenty of Test runs left in Matthew Hayden despite his recent struggles.
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here