Suneer S. Chowdhary
Arnold
Tash Jayasinghe
Dexter
CibbuanoTime for Phil Jacques to step up
December 8th 2006 04:18
The surprise announcement this afternoon of Damien Martyn’s retirement from all forms of cricket has given the Australian selectors an ideal opportunity to pick Phil Jacques in the number five slot for the Perth test.
Despite Jacques scoring most of his runs in recent times at the top of the order for NSW and the Prime Minister’s XI, he is equally adaptable down the order at number five. His outstanding form will not last forever and it will be prudent of the selectors to get him in the team now when he is full of confidence rather than waiting for Hayden and Langer to retire.
The selection of Jacques at number five will cover two issues of concern in the selectors’ minds. Firstly the unique technique adopted by Jacques thus far in his career requires further refinement in the same way that Hayden needed time to adjust his game to the next level of cricket. As Hayden found out the hard way a technique that allows state bowlers to be bludgeoned to the fence in Pura Cup games may not be so effective at Test level. Jacques will face a sterner examination of technique from the likes of Flintoff and Co than he does in Pura Cup cricket and starting out at number five will allow this process to occur smoothly without top order disruptions to the team.
Secondly the selectors will be able to introduce Jacques to the Australian team in the number five slot comfortable in the knowledge that Ponting and Hussey about him are in career best form. These players above Jacques can lay a solid platform such that Jacques can take his time to adjust to test cricket before making his way up the order at a later stage when Hayden and/or Langer complete their service.
In the past Jacques has been criticised for his fielding lapses. He has worked hard in the off season and with Martyn becoming slower and less effective in the field as the years have passed by the net loss to the Australian team is negligible and Jacques will improve further over time.
The return of Watson for the Boxing Day test will create its own questions but the opportunity to have Jacques in the side now is too good to miss.
Despite Jacques scoring most of his runs in recent times at the top of the order for NSW and the Prime Minister’s XI, he is equally adaptable down the order at number five. His outstanding form will not last forever and it will be prudent of the selectors to get him in the team now when he is full of confidence rather than waiting for Hayden and Langer to retire.
The selection of Jacques at number five will cover two issues of concern in the selectors’ minds. Firstly the unique technique adopted by Jacques thus far in his career requires further refinement in the same way that Hayden needed time to adjust his game to the next level of cricket. As Hayden found out the hard way a technique that allows state bowlers to be bludgeoned to the fence in Pura Cup games may not be so effective at Test level. Jacques will face a sterner examination of technique from the likes of Flintoff and Co than he does in Pura Cup cricket and starting out at number five will allow this process to occur smoothly without top order disruptions to the team.
Secondly the selectors will be able to introduce Jacques to the Australian team in the number five slot comfortable in the knowledge that Ponting and Hussey about him are in career best form. These players above Jacques can lay a solid platform such that Jacques can take his time to adjust to test cricket before making his way up the order at a later stage when Hayden and/or Langer complete their service.
In the past Jacques has been criticised for his fielding lapses. He has worked hard in the off season and with Martyn becoming slower and less effective in the field as the years have passed by the net loss to the Australian team is negligible and Jacques will improve further over time.
The return of Watson for the Boxing Day test will create its own questions but the opportunity to have Jacques in the side now is too good to miss.
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