Canberra [Australia], November 9 : Former Australia cricketer Greg Chappell has raised concerns over the team's selection strategy ahead of the Ashes clash against England, questioning the potential move to send Marnus Labuschagne to open the innings alongside Usman Khawaja, as per ESPNcricinfo.
In his column, Chappell said that while the selectors have included specialist opener Jake Weatherald in the squad, they appear to be leaning towards using Labuschagne as an opener to accommodate Cameron Green and Beau Webster in the playing XI.
"Despite selecting a specialist opener, Jake Weatherald, in the squad, I believe the intention is to send Marnus Labuschagne out to open with Khawaja. This will allow Cameron Green and Beau Webster to play, giving the best balance of batting and bowling in the squad - especially as Green has hardly bowled a ball in anger since his recent back surgery," Chappell said, as quoted from his ESPNcricinfo column.
However, the former captain warned that promoting Labuschagne could prove costly for Australia.
"Opening with Labuschagne is extremely risky. He should bat at three, as that is his specialist spot, where he has delivered prolifically. The fact that he is being considered as an opener suggests that the selectors do not have a specialist they trust, and that one or both of Green and Webster are well short of the bowling loads required to get through a Test match," he noted.
Drawing comparisons with Australian greats, Chappell added, "Ian Chappell and Ricky Ponting were exceptional No. 3 batters for Australia in their time. That doesn't mean that they would have been as successful had they been press-ganged into opening. They were often batting early in the innings, but the mindset to walk out to open the innings is subtly different."
He praised Labuschagne's recent form, "Marnus has reinvented himself this summer with a return to the intent that he showed early in his Test career. For the past few seasons he has looked like someone who was batting to not get out. This risk-averse attitude to batting actually increases the risk of getting out. In this state of mind, the feet do not move and the runs dry up. Even if one succeeds in not getting out, one doesn't make many runs because the number of deliveries that you can attack becomes limited. It would be a shame to risk short-circuiting his return to Test cricket by batting him out of position."
Chappell also advocated for Mitchell Marsh as a better opening option for the Perth Test.
"Mitch (Mitchell) Marsh is the choice I would have preferred. It would have been a left-field choice, but this is a venue where he has an advantage over all other candidates. He grew up in Perth so the bounce would not worry him; he is one of the best players of pace in the country, and he could have bowled some meaningful overs to support the frontline quicks," he said.
The former batter further warned that if Labuschagne opens, it could unsettle the batting order.
"If they do go with Labuschagne at the top of the order, that will mean Green will be forced to bat at No. 3 again. It is a position for which he is not suited, so all of a sudden, the Australian batting order is dangerously unbalanced," he noted.
"In time, I expect Green to slot into the No. 4 position he is eminently more suited for. The other reason that I would not send him in early is that, if fit, he will be expected to bowl important overs, so he will need time to prepare to bat rather than put the pads straight on," Chappell added.
Criticising the selectors' conservative mindset, Chappell remarked, "The selectors have boxed themselves into a corner. Over the past year or so they have shied away from bold calls, leaving themselves no real option now but the conservative line. They were risk-averse in picking the team. They missed an opportunity to lay down the gauntlet at one of the world's unique venues. And they are actually taking a huge risk by playing batters out of position."
Chappell shared his thoughts on Australia's cautious approach, "Being risk-averse is not being risk-free. By anchoring in the harbour of familiarity, Australia's selectors may have invited the very storm they sought to avoid. Perth demanded courage. The Ashes demand it. A ship is safe in harbour, but that is not what ships are for."
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
