Victoria doesn't deserve to have any Australian representatives.
The moronic decision making process that lead to Michael Klinger moving to South Australia was bad enough but I had not completely lost faith in Victoria. The latest development means that (even though I am a parochial Victorian) I renounce all allegiance to the Bushrangers. They might as well be from another state anyway.
Adam Crosthwaite was touted as a potential Australian test player from a young age. The reviews tell us that he is a glove-man of unparalleled skill (in Australia anyway) but that his bating was a little weak to justify the selection early predictions alluded to.
The obvious way to look at the situation is to say that Wade is a better keeper, and like Klinger, Crosthwaite has not performed at a level to justify his selection. The result is that they were not selected and wanted to leave. Make no mistake, this is a completely naive view. Both players have been forced out by the same misguided selection policies that have left Victoria without a consistent representative at test level, other than Shane Warne, for the best part of 20 years. Unlike NSW, and the Australian side, Victoria obviously places no value in selecting a gifted player and then heaping responsibility on him, as a show of faith, with the aim of getting the best out of him.
The Bushrangers leave their young players out in the (relative) cold playing Victorian Premier league regardless of their form and then pick the same players based on the form of seasons past. The reality is that the Shield is first and foremost about getting test players; this is clear because supporters and those officially involved constantly bitch about not having players selected in the side. Ultimately Shield victories should be the by product of blooding our gifted young cricketers and having them gain experience alongside hardened state veterans. There is nothing innovative about the last statement (and it is certainly obvious - some would argue that this is what happens).
Victoria has a history of undermining young Victoria cricketers. The examples are the recruiting of Gerard Denton, Damien Wright, (most disgustingly) Chris Rogers, and (for different reasons) Matthew Wade.
Matthew Innes and Allan Wise are both proven Victorians at State level. Wise was an integral part of the bowling group during the season that Victoria won its first shield of this decade, it was his break out year. He has since been crippled with injuries but he has shown enough to be given opportunities by South Australia. Matthew Innes was at a level high enough to tear apart a touring West Indian team (after years of high level cricket as a swing bowler) prompting Shane Warne to call for his inclusion in the test side. He was betrayed at the selection table and ultimately forced out of Victoria as he was not being selected. Western Australia benefited from his presence until his retirement.
In recent years Denton and Wright have been brought across bass straight as (albeit talented) wash-ups whose chances of being selected for Australia were, and remain, not existent. We are then fed rubbish about the need to add to the bowling depth and what a good opportunity it is for Victoria to have proven state cricketers at its disposal. I am not suggesting that the signing of these two players is directly related to the decisions of Wise and Innes, the years don't match up. However, they don’t need to, Victoria has a history of signing players from other states while at the same time not showing any faith in players its own youth
academies and state competition nurtured.
The signing of Rogers and the subsequent departure of Klinger is the most disgusting example. Kilnger did not leave Victoria until Rogers was signed. The writing was on the wall and Klinger left and had a break out year at South Australia. I had an argument with Nick Jewell on SEN about this and he told me that Klinger wanted to leave. In the middle of explaining that the decision to leave was not important, and that the reasons for the decision were I was cut off because I was correct. Klinger is a player that has a history of being made to feel unwanted (Victoria declared with Klinger on 99 and was denied a maiden first class century for years - and the game was of limited importance). I personally don't place too much weight on the declaration but it does build a picture.
The Klinger issue also highlights the absolute lack of forward thinking in Victorian selection (as well as the betrayal of its own kind).
Irrespective of Hayden's sudden demise against South Africa, everyone in Australia knew that we would be on the market for another opener. Remember that Langer and Hayden have been on the wrong side of 33 for years. Surely, two years ago the time had come to sit Klinger sown and explain that he was getting his opportunity (unlike Brade Hodge - who has been very unlucky) and that he was going to be in the right place at the right time. He should have been given a whole season to play. Victoria being Victoria, Klinger was not selected and a year later a 31.5 year old Rogers is signed and Klinger leaves. Klinger has shown that he has the ability, he dominated the shield year. Had he put together similar numbers last year (there is no logical reason why he could not have) and then started the last season like he did, Phil Hughes would have been irrelevant. I am at work and cannot confirm it, but I am sure that he was the captain of a world cup winnign Australian under 19 side that featured Michael Clarke. How can one player have gone so far and another have stalled so much in the exact period of time. I will laugh at anyone who thinks that Clarke is a special player whose selection for Australia could be justified. Clarke is a flat track bully who is rarely exposed because the standard of world cricket has been so terrible. Remember that Clarke has been protected at 5 and 6 and, before the South Africa series,
made centuries when Australia's end score was 520 (ask Robbert Craddock). The point of this is not to bag Clarke, I will bag that looser another time, the point is to show the importance in nurturing your own. It is the same principle as bringing up identical twins in different environments to prove that their traits are socially learnt rather than biologically determined. Nurturing youth is
something that NSW is brilliant at and somethign Victoria is appauling at. The conspirators will argue along the lines of the late David Hooks' 'every baggy blue comes with a baggy green' but the reality is that Hooks was the one coach of Victoria who showed faith in an overwhelmingly local list. Shippherd brings in his mercenaries to win shield games while NSW has taken advantage of the changing of the guard in the test side.
Essentially, we deserve as many test players as we have had.
Matthew Wade is a weaker argument as he is a young player. He is also a very realistic chance of playing for Australia. However, Wade is not a Victorian and has taken the opportunity of a superior keeper who is insignificantly older. critics may ask why Crosthwaite hasn't made runs. I would ask them how he is supposed to make runs. Batting between 6-9 in 2020 and One Day cricket is not exactly giving him an opportunity to mount a serious case for Shield selection. If you think otherwise you don't know cricket. WA promoted Ronchi to the top of the order the moment the saw his potential. Ronchi has played One Day cricket and is easily ahead of Crosthwaite. I won't listen to any argument that Crosthwaite's batting is not up to scratch as he has never been given the opportunity. It is rediculous to suggest that he can't do it until he gets a season at it.
The danger is that Blizzard and Finch are going to suffer the same fate. They only ever play 2020 cricket and the occasional one day match. They both had prolific Premier League seasons about two seasons ago but weren't rewarded. They are now a very long way behind similar aged players in different stated.
Hopefully Adam wins the contract at NSW and goes on to be Australia's next keeper (it is still possible). It would be the sweetest selection of a Victorian that I could remember.
The moronic decision making process that lead to Michael Klinger moving to South Australia was bad enough but I had not completely lost faith in Victoria. The latest development means that (even though I am a parochial Victorian) I renounce all allegiance to the Bushrangers. They might as well be from another state anyway.
Adam Crosthwaite was touted as a potential Australian test player from a young age. The reviews tell us that he is a glove-man of unparalleled skill (in Australia anyway) but that his bating was a little weak to justify the selection early predictions alluded to.
The obvious way to look at the situation is to say that Wade is a better keeper, and like Klinger, Crosthwaite has not performed at a level to justify his selection. The result is that they were not selected and wanted to leave. Make no mistake, this is a completely naive view. Both players have been forced out by the same misguided selection policies that have left Victoria without a consistent representative at test level, other than Shane Warne, for the best part of 20 years. Unlike NSW, and the Australian side, Victoria obviously places no value in selecting a gifted player and then heaping responsibility on him, as a show of faith, with the aim of getting the best out of him.
The Bushrangers leave their young players out in the (relative) cold playing Victorian Premier league regardless of their form and then pick the same players based on the form of seasons past. The reality is that the Shield is first and foremost about getting test players; this is clear because supporters and those officially involved constantly bitch about not having players selected in the side. Ultimately Shield victories should be the by product of blooding our gifted young cricketers and having them gain experience alongside hardened state veterans. There is nothing innovative about the last statement (and it is certainly obvious - some would argue that this is what happens).
Victoria has a history of undermining young Victoria cricketers. The examples are the recruiting of Gerard Denton, Damien Wright, (most disgustingly) Chris Rogers, and (for different reasons) Matthew Wade.
Matthew Innes and Allan Wise are both proven Victorians at State level. Wise was an integral part of the bowling group during the season that Victoria won its first shield of this decade, it was his break out year. He has since been crippled with injuries but he has shown enough to be given opportunities by South Australia. Matthew Innes was at a level high enough to tear apart a touring West Indian team (after years of high level cricket as a swing bowler) prompting Shane Warne to call for his inclusion in the test side. He was betrayed at the selection table and ultimately forced out of Victoria as he was not being selected. Western Australia benefited from his presence until his retirement.
In recent years Denton and Wright have been brought across bass straight as (albeit talented) wash-ups whose chances of being selected for Australia were, and remain, not existent. We are then fed rubbish about the need to add to the bowling depth and what a good opportunity it is for Victoria to have proven state cricketers at its disposal. I am not suggesting that the signing of these two players is directly related to the decisions of Wise and Innes, the years don't match up. However, they don’t need to, Victoria has a history of signing players from other states while at the same time not showing any faith in players its own youth
academies and state competition nurtured.
The signing of Rogers and the subsequent departure of Klinger is the most disgusting example. Kilnger did not leave Victoria until Rogers was signed. The writing was on the wall and Klinger left and had a break out year at South Australia. I had an argument with Nick Jewell on SEN about this and he told me that Klinger wanted to leave. In the middle of explaining that the decision to leave was not important, and that the reasons for the decision were I was cut off because I was correct. Klinger is a player that has a history of being made to feel unwanted (Victoria declared with Klinger on 99 and was denied a maiden first class century for years - and the game was of limited importance). I personally don't place too much weight on the declaration but it does build a picture.
The Klinger issue also highlights the absolute lack of forward thinking in Victorian selection (as well as the betrayal of its own kind).
Irrespective of Hayden's sudden demise against South Africa, everyone in Australia knew that we would be on the market for another opener. Remember that Langer and Hayden have been on the wrong side of 33 for years. Surely, two years ago the time had come to sit Klinger sown and explain that he was getting his opportunity (unlike Brade Hodge - who has been very unlucky) and that he was going to be in the right place at the right time. He should have been given a whole season to play. Victoria being Victoria, Klinger was not selected and a year later a 31.5 year old Rogers is signed and Klinger leaves. Klinger has shown that he has the ability, he dominated the shield year. Had he put together similar numbers last year (there is no logical reason why he could not have) and then started the last season like he did, Phil Hughes would have been irrelevant. I am at work and cannot confirm it, but I am sure that he was the captain of a world cup winnign Australian under 19 side that featured Michael Clarke. How can one player have gone so far and another have stalled so much in the exact period of time. I will laugh at anyone who thinks that Clarke is a special player whose selection for Australia could be justified. Clarke is a flat track bully who is rarely exposed because the standard of world cricket has been so terrible. Remember that Clarke has been protected at 5 and 6 and, before the South Africa series,
made centuries when Australia's end score was 520 (ask Robbert Craddock). The point of this is not to bag Clarke, I will bag that looser another time, the point is to show the importance in nurturing your own. It is the same principle as bringing up identical twins in different environments to prove that their traits are socially learnt rather than biologically determined. Nurturing youth is
something that NSW is brilliant at and somethign Victoria is appauling at. The conspirators will argue along the lines of the late David Hooks' 'every baggy blue comes with a baggy green' but the reality is that Hooks was the one coach of Victoria who showed faith in an overwhelmingly local list. Shippherd brings in his mercenaries to win shield games while NSW has taken advantage of the changing of the guard in the test side.
Essentially, we deserve as many test players as we have had.
Matthew Wade is a weaker argument as he is a young player. He is also a very realistic chance of playing for Australia. However, Wade is not a Victorian and has taken the opportunity of a superior keeper who is insignificantly older. critics may ask why Crosthwaite hasn't made runs. I would ask them how he is supposed to make runs. Batting between 6-9 in 2020 and One Day cricket is not exactly giving him an opportunity to mount a serious case for Shield selection. If you think otherwise you don't know cricket. WA promoted Ronchi to the top of the order the moment the saw his potential. Ronchi has played One Day cricket and is easily ahead of Crosthwaite. I won't listen to any argument that Crosthwaite's batting is not up to scratch as he has never been given the opportunity. It is rediculous to suggest that he can't do it until he gets a season at it.
The danger is that Blizzard and Finch are going to suffer the same fate. They only ever play 2020 cricket and the occasional one day match. They both had prolific Premier League seasons about two seasons ago but weren't rewarded. They are now a very long way behind similar aged players in different stated.
Hopefully Adam wins the contract at NSW and goes on to be Australia's next keeper (it is still possible). It would be the sweetest selection of a Victorian that I could remember.
) so that the side can win a few games and still remain in contention. that is how the bulls came first in the ford ranger cup last year, and second in the SS, while playing 9 debutants throughout the season and having a side filled with players with less then 10 games experience, like laughlin for example, and he was outstanding in the finals. but then they still have players like smith, watson, love, perren (at the start of the season) and hartley to steady the ships if the youngsters fail. unlike at NSW where they played a whole team of young players together with barely any experience and wonder why they came dead last on the ladder.