Tom Moody looks to Australia's future after Ashes tour ends
'I feel confident in saying we've enough depth and talent in Australia'
Monday 14 September 2015 13:32, UK
Australia's long tour has come to an end with a 3-2 win over England in the ODI series, but with the Ashes lost again on English soil it has been an ultimately disappointing trip.
But with the likes of Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson having retired, how will Australia fare going forward? Former Baggy Greens star Tom Moody looks to the team's future...
I think we have got to recognise that it was a poor Ashes for Australia, but it hasn't been a poor year.
They had success in the one-day series, and going forward I don't think there is the need for wholesale changes, no need to panic. There is enough talent there, it's just a case of getting the right bums on the right seats.
Significant players need to be replaced going forward but I feel confident in saying we have enough depth and talent to fill the void.
Bolstering the batting
The most significant challenge will be to find a quality middle-order batsman like Clarke. You're talking about a guy that has played 115 Test matches, averaging just short of 50.
It is a big void to fill. But someone like Usman Khawaja – who has already tasted international cricket, and perhaps been unfairly discarded – could come in and have an impact.
Another who didn't really get an opportunity on this trip, is Shaun Marsh. Playing just the one Test at Trent Bridge, on a green top, he got a pretty rough deal.
From a batting perspective, with that pool of players, I'm confident we can fill those spaces. I just hope they get a fair run, to settle in at the top level.
But who to replace Rogers as opener?
Opening the batting there is young Bancroft, who is probably the standout for me.
He is a similar type player to Rogers, although he is a right-hander, but he has that classical style, suited to Test cricket.
He is a young, exciting player, a gun fielder, too. He has the all-round package and I hope he is the one to get an opportunity.
What of Australia's new leadership team?
I have no problem with Steve Smith as captain and David Warner as vice-captain whatsoever. Both are averaging around the 50 mark in Test cricket and they're fully capable of holding a lot of responsibility, not only with bat in hand, but with the leadership of that team going forward.
They're both exciting players, and good thinkers about the game. They're the ones that are going to help Australia recover from this hiccup.
Keep faith with the bowlers
Josh Hazlewood, who has been rested for the Bangladesh tour, is a very good bowler. He came into the Ashes as one of the form bowlers in Test cricket, bowling well in the Australian summer, and in the two Tests in the Caribbean prior to this series.
He just miscalculated how to bowl in English conditions. He veered away from his strength of being a length bowler, to trying to pitch it up and swing it.
He'll learn from that experience, and you can guarantee he'll be banging down the door to get back into the side. He is young, exciting, and has a lot of upside.
I think looking back on the series, the thing the Australian selectors took a risk with, but understandably so, was playing two left-armers in English conditions.
On flat wickets it worked, because they have the ability with their pace, angle and reverse-swing, to blast out 20 wickets. But in typical English conditions, you needed more control.
Pat Cummins and James Pattinson are both coming back from injury – right-armers that can both bowl 90mph plus – and are guys that are going to be there or thereabouts, as well as Peter Siddle, who showed at The Oval what he can do.
Any wildcard selections?
A guy from South Australia, Travis Head, a left-hander, a very good young player and one to look out for.
And even younger than that, playing for the Australia under-19s is Jake Doran. Another left-handed bat and a good player.
He is yet to make his way in first-class cricket, but I'm pretty sure he will be fast-tracked through pretty quickly.
