AUSTRALIA IN A SPIN

Shane Warne was a legend, a match-winner for Australia. During his career which spanned for 15years, Australia was totally assured in the spin department.  He could win matches single handed for his side, his genius is known by all. So filling such big shoes was a very difficult task. When he retired during the Ashes series in 2007, Australia were in a spin faced with the arduous task of finding his replacement.    

               Since his retirement, Australia have fielded 11 spinners in 6 years, but none have been able to grab the hot seat. Stuart Macgill had always been in the shadow of Shane Warne, a natural leg spinner who could generate a huge amount of turn. He did well in a few matches but unfortunately had to retire early due to an injury. After that, only Brad Hogg and Nathan Lyon are the two players who have played more than 5 test matches. Michael Beer, Jason Krejza, Xavier Doherty, Nathan Hauritz, Bryce Mcgain, Beau Casson are all members of a long list of rejects. They sometimes also have had to resort to the part time spin of Cameron White, Glen Maxwell and Steve Smith. Nathan Lyon has answered their woes to some extent, but his career took a beating during the recent India tour.          

                          The main problem lies with the selectors and the Captain, who have not been patient enough. Spinners, especially wrist spinners need time to settle down and get used to the demands of international cricket. Even Warne struggled in his first few matches. Once they spot a talent, they should give him a long run to prove his worth. India’s Ravindra Jadeja is an apt example in this case. The captain and selectors persisted with him even when his chips were down and now the result is there for everyone to see. Also, guidance from past Aussie spinners can be invaluable. Players like Warne, Macgill and Hogg could help the young spinners in developing their skills and getting them prepared for the big stage.   

                           The search for Warne’s replacement has become an obsession for the Australian selectors. Unless they change their approach to this process quickly in the near future, they will have a tough time finding a solution to their woes. In the present scenario, they will have great difficulty in checking their current rapid decline in world cricket.