The real cost of selectors persisting with Mitch Marsh for the fifth Test


https://ift.tt/aNyHsrd RoarDecember 30, 2024 at 12:29AMhttps://cdn4.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2188655772-1.jpg

When Mitch Marsh scored that great century in the third Ashes Test in England in July 2023 he went from strength to strength across the three formats, culminating in being awarded the Allan Border Medal in 2024 and captaining the team in the white ball games.

For one of the nice guys and great team men it was the fulfilment of a career and finally a year he demonstrated what he was capable of producing.

Marsh’s career has seen plenty of highs and lows as he was in and out of the Test team, and while he would probably say that he has under performed over his whole career he didn’t deserve the constant negative attention he received at times.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 07: Mitch Marsh of Australia looks dejected while leaving the field after being dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin of India during day two of the Men's Test Match series between Australia and India at Adelaide Oval on December 07, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Mitch Marsh looks dejected while leaving the field in Adelaide. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

In one interview he labelled himself as the most hated player in the country.

He now finds himself in one of those lows. In nine Tests in 2024 he is averaging 19 with the bat and 42 with the ball with only five wickets and bowling only 54 overs across those nine Tests.

While his outstanding performance in the 2023 calendar year would have granted him a little leeway in 2024 such damming stats cannot be ignored. Even before this current India series, across five Test matches against Pakistan, the Windies and New Zealand he only managed 210 runs at an average of 26.

In previous teams the combination of age and deteriorating form would have seen a player moved on quickly, however the tightness of this current team and support staff seems to inoculate the senior players from such situations.

The team, media and public are connected to our senior players, and are invested in them and what they have done for the Australian team.

When a Warner, a Marsh, a Khawaja is out of form we personally feel for them and want to see them pull through and stay in the team.

There is another side to it, though. By persisting with Marsh, we are not choosing another player. A player who has played all his career to get to this level, who’s ready to go, just as worthy, could be in the form of his life, could become a superstar, the one we will be invested in in a few years but currently don’t know as ‘personally’.

He and others are not chosen because we persist with the aging and out of form current players. All because I suspect that the selectors don’t want to make tough and what would be for them personal decisions.

At the moment that player is Beau Webster, who was on standby for Marsh in this Test. Webster has started the season well on the back of an outstanding Sheffield season last year where he was just the second player in the Shield’s 131 year history to score more than 900 runs and take 30 wickets. The only other to do that is arguably the greatest all round cricketer of all time, Sir Garry Sobers.

If we are going to persist with the idea of an allrounder then let’s at least choose one, not someone who used to be one. Bowling 54 overs in nine Tests in 2024 does not an allrounder make.

Marsh is so badly out of form with the bat and bowling very sparingly and below his career average speed that he is not contributing with either discipline. Webster on the other hand is at the top of his game contribution significantly with bat, ball and in the field.

On what basis can Marsh stay in the team for the next Test?

If selectors don’t bring in Webster to replace Marsh in this situation then I cannot imagine in what situation they would. That won’t surprise me though, Sir Garry Sobers probably wouldn’t get a run either.

Scooterhttps://https://ift.tt/brKeFWh real cost of selectors persisting with Mitch Marsh for the fifth Test

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