da stake casino： In the past ten years Australian teams have almost picked themselves, butas Ricky Ponting realises the damage caused by the loss of a clutch ofgreats he is changing his outlook and adopting a more flexible approach toselection
Peter English at the Gabba23-Nov-2008
Shane Watson has played Australia’s past five Tests but has been left out of the squad for the second Test against New Zealand © AFP
In the past ten years Australian teams have almost picked themselves, butas Ricky Ponting realises the damage caused by the loss of a clutch ofgreats he is changing his outlook and adopting a more flexible approach toselection. The method started in Brisbane, where the 12-wicket debutantJason Krejza was dropped, and will continue in Adelaide as a way ofdiscovering which men can be depended on in specific conditions.So Australia fly south-west expecting the wicket to assist reverse-swingand the only thing they know is they don’t have to worry about fitting inthe allrounder Shane Watson, who was cut from the squad and replaced byPeter Siddle, the right-arm fast bowler. It eases the options for Ponting,who had spoken about picking only two pacemen for the second Test – ordropping a batsman – and supplementing the attack with Watson’s improvingbowling.Even though it was a move quashed quickly by Andrew Hilditch, Ponting’swillingness to discuss upsetting traditional thoughts means there arefewer certainties in a team that is used to them. “I just think we’ve gotto be a bit more flexible on our selection in different places,” Pontingsaid. “We need to look at every way you can to have the most impact.”They’re some of the lessons we all learned in India. We could have beenbetter equipped for those conditions and if we come up against conditionslike that, in Australia or the world, we need to have guys who can playwell in them.”Usually in Australia there is a slight debate over which bowler to chooseor whether the form batsman in the Sheffield Shield should come in. Whenthe players reconvene in Adelaide on Tuesday night there will be a lot ofteam management discussions. Could Siddle come in for Brett Lee, who tookhis 300th Test wicket at the Gabba, if Australia pick only three pacebowlers? How long can Matthew Hayden and Brad Haddin carry on? Will AndrewSymonds stay ahead of Watson, who will play for Queensland instead, afterhis muted return? And is Krejza really Australia’s spin answer?Nothing will probably change and Siddle will be 12th man, but the fact somany debates are occurring lead some Australians to feel like they aresuddenly following England outfits of the 1990s. “We’ve got a decision tomake, or maybe a few decisions to make, on our team for Adelaide,” Pontingsaid. “Once again we’ve got to be a bit more specific with the way we pickour teams now. We’ve really got to pick horses for courses with ourselections.”It is a way of developing for the future following the exits of ShaneWarne, Glenn McGrath et al and learning from the struggles of India, wherethe team realised it was no longer a dominator. The 149-run win over NewZealand turned out well, but it is the warm-up for two tougher seriesagainst South Africa ahead of the 2009 Ashes.”It’s no good a lot of the time going on tours carrying around 14 or 15blokes and not seeing how they go,” Ponting said. “Especially with some ofthe cricket coming up, we’ve got South Africa here at the WACA, which willbe a good place for the swing and quick bowlers, and then we’ve gotMelbourne and Sydney, which will be the other way. Then we take them onover there on wickets which, we saw last time, seamed all over the place.”We have to start looking at the guys who are going to be suited to thoseconditions and even look ahead to England as well. We’re going to needpeople over there who can swing the ball and stand the seam up and do thatall the time. That’s what I’m talking about with those selection things.”Mitchell Johnson is one player who has continued to develop and shown hecan break through in a variety of conditions. After leading the list inIndia, Johnson captured a career-best 9 for 69, including his maidenfive-wicket haul, to end the contest on Sunday.”He is doing everything right at the moment,” Ponting said. “He continuesto work on things. He’s done as well as any of our bowlers over the last12 or 18 months, but he’s the first one to go and have a look at videofootage, whether it’s his wrist or his action or whatever. He is alwaystrying to find ways to improve.”Johnson was nervous in the opening stages of the first innings but cameback to take 4 for 30, and captured three wickets on the final morning,finishing the game by knocking over Chris Martin. “I felt that I’m bowlingreally well,” he said, “and I’m happy with the way I’m going and hopefullykeep improving.”Australia 2nd Test squad Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, RickyPonting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, BradHaddin (wk), Brett Lee, Jason Krejza, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark,Peter Siddle.