Hopefuls to state case for Ashes
A KEY cog in Australia’s Ashes preparations has been rescued for next week, allowing NSW and Victorian Test hopefuls to square off in suburban Sydney.
Border closures forced the likes of Marcus Harris to watch on helplessly while other opening candidates such as Usman Khawaja staked their Ashes claims in Adelaide. It was unknown whether NSW and Victorian players would get any match practice.
But some key stars will finally get their opportunity in back-to-back Sheffield Shield matches at Drummoyne Oval and a return bout at the MCG.
It is understood the first match will start next Wednesday at Drummoyne Oval. It will be a vital tune-up for bowling matchwinners Nathan Lyon and James Pattinson.
Will Pucovski is expected to miss at least next week’s Shield match following his concussion, and it’s unknown whether he will return in time for the second match in Melbourne.
The fact the likes of Lyon will get two proper hit-outs before the Ashes is crucial for Australia, particularly given the majority of the squad will return home late from the Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE with no-red ball preparation.
Meanwhile, the addition of a fast bowler to Australia’s selection panel could be timely for Pat Cummins as the clock ticks down for a decision on the next Test captain.
Former 10-Test quick Tony Dodemaide can see no barrier to exclude a candidate like Cummins from the captaincy conversation despite the fact Australia’s last pure fastbowling skipper was Ray Lindwall, who took the role for a one-off Test in the 1950s.
Dodemaide doesn’t join the other two selectors on the panel, chairman George Bailey and coach Justin Langer, until next month and he made it clear he wants to reserve judgment on the credentials of potential successors to current captain Tim Paine until he has his feet under the desk.
But the presence of a fast bowler on the panel gives Dodemaide an important personal insight into the considerations selectors will have to make at the end of the Ashes summer about whether to saddle their most important wicket-taking weapon with the responsibilities of leading the nation.
Dodemaide played in the 1980s when pace bowler Geoff Lawson was considered the most adventurous and one of the most admired Sheffield Shield captains of the decade and he is open-minded about Australia’s next captain being a quick.
“No, I don’t think any particular role in a team excludes someone from having a leadership position,” Dodemaide said.
“My experience in cricket and in business is you want as many leaders or people that have leadership characteristics in a team, whether they have the titles or not. I don’t think that necessarily precludes any particular type of player.
“Tim is a great example of that himself. The view probably was a few years ago that it was too much to expect a keeper to be a captain as well, and he’s done a terrific job.”