SPORT Injuries threaten to derail season

SECONDECOND TEST

JOSH Hazlewood has become a protected species for the rest of this summer, with Australia’s dwindling fast bowling depth escalating into a fullblown catastrophe.

Adding to the chaos is the fact selectors have once again felt they must ignore the claims of the top eight Sheffield Shield wicket-takers in the country to call-up unheralded Victorian Scott Boland for a possible Test debut on Boxing Day.

The ever-widening talent void is threatening to derail Australia’s new year overseas challenges in New Zealand and the World Twenty20 in India, and puts enormous pressure on selectors to correctly manage their last remaining superstar Hazlewood.

Nathan Coulter-Nile was the fast bowler selectors believed was the answer to their prayers after the double blow of losing Mitchell Johnson to retirement and Mitchell Starc to a long-term ankle injury.

It proved another false dawn, however, after CoulterNile dislocated his shoulder in the BBL to join the likes of Pat Cummins and Jason Behrendorff in the casualty ward before even making a Test debut he could almost taste.

Now Australia’s fast bowling reserves are officially running on empty and still, leading Shield wicket-takers Joe Mennie (24), Jackson Bird (22), Andrew Fekete, Daniel Worrell, Chadd Sayers, Doug Bollinger, Michael Hogan and Joel Paris can’t get a look in.

All of those men have more wickets this season than Boland (13 at 17.07), although only left-arm whiz kid Paris boats a better average (14 at 16.85) for his work.

Hazlewood is now the last man standing from last year’s Boxing Day Test and World Cup final at the MCG. The 24year-old has taken more wickets (51) than any fast bowler in the world this calendar year and at the most economical rate, with a scalp for every 21 runs scored. But for a young star with legitimate concerns over his current workload, there isn’t enough bubble wrap in Melbourne this Boxing Day to ensure Hazlewood doesn’t become another victim.

After nearly two weeks rest since the last Test in Hobart, Hazlewood is almost certain to face the West Indies in Melbourne as part of an unchanged attack, with Boland as 12th man. The Sydney Test starting on January 3, though, could be a different story.

The agonising decision over whether to rest Hazlewood for the SCG or the one-day series against India that follows has been hanging over selectors all summer, but now there can be no margin for error.

With Starc out of action for four months, Hazlewood is Australia’s No.1 asset who will be relied upon to spearhead the tricky one-day and Test tour of the Shaky Isles in February and perhaps even the World T20.

James Pattinson and Peter Siddle shape as perfectly reliable wingmen for Hazlewood, but one niggle or hiccup from here on out and selectors will be forced to take one of the biggest fast bowling punts in recent memory.

Boland has taken 72 wickets at a commendable but far from startling average of 30.70 from his 27 first-class matches.

Selector Trevor Hohns has pushed Boland’s case heavily as a young bowler who delivers a heavy ball and never lets batsmen feel comfortable.

West Australian Michael Klinger is on the record in saying Boland is the Shield bowler he least likes facing.

However, “gut feels” on players don’t always work out, evidenced by Coulter-Nile’s latest injury, which despite its freakish nature came after he failed to play a Shield game all season in the lead-up to a potential Test debut.

There is no question Coulter-Nile was a certainty to lead the attack in the ODIs against India and the World Twenty20 in India and be the fresh reserve for the pace attack for the foreseeable future. Slipping and dislocating his shoulder is a blow to his future at 28, not to mention his bank balance, given he was on the verge of breaking through for a Cricket Australia contract.