Best XI not Young XI | Thebigtip

Lets go back to the Ashes 2010-2011. Dont try pinching yourselves Australians this is not a Nightmare.

Aussies quickly erased this one from their memories and this is contary of the calls for heads on this day. We erased the memories of a lose, but also the man that stood up,performed and carried the Baggy Greens on his shoulders for 25 days of 'hard to watch' cricket. His name.

Michael Edward Killeen Hussey.

At an average of 63.33 he was the stand alone player for Australia.

One series later after losing in India, the Aussies were in Sri Lanka. Disgusted by the lack of TV coverage, 'Dominated' is an understatement for this collection. 3 Matches, 3 Man of the Matches, an average of 95 and a 2nd lowest score of 93. His name.

Michael Edward Killeen Hussey.

My point is, this transistion phase is not how you get good players, and it most definatly is not how you win games of cricket. The best players in all sports have had to earn their position. Mike Hussey made his debut for WA in 1995 he took 10 hard years to get a gig in the test team. At the end of 2007 two year into his career and an average of 86.18 the man was now 'Mr Cricket'. They were the best years of cricket, when old blokes hit the field and just had that drive to be the best and that they did.

Justin Langer played 8 test matches in 6 years before he mould his spot in 1999. He and Haydos fought behind Mark Taylor and Michael Slater for all those years until at the ripe age at late 20's formed Australia's greastest opening pair.

Although my favourite is this man, the bridesmade of all bridesmades, the man who didn't get on the VB ad, the man that hasnt got Liz Hurley. The King of Spin's Side-Kick, Stewie MacGill. 208 Wickets in 44 test matches and a wine connoisseur he was an genuine, honest spinner with a 'what you see is what you get' persona.

Its fine bringing kids in if they are performing CLEARLY good enough to play test cricket but young kids carry alot of baggage just like a Ponting. With Ponting, if you axe him, your axing a great of the game and it could tarnish the memories of such as great Aussie cricketer, although with young players eg. Mitchell Starc if you drop him then these young kids dont have that fire in their belly to come out and get back in like a MacGill or a Langer.

So finally, its easy, what worked and when did it work. We white washed the 2006 Ashes with Old Boys so why not take a leaf out of that book. You never see Laxman,Darvid,Sehwag,Gangully and Tendulkar under scrutiny and most will say "Because their good players" but Sehwag went a whole year without a half century, and not a peep came out of the loyal Indian selectors and fans who love their Old Boys and love Winning.