The new Aussie spinner Xavier Doherty

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Nathan Hauritz's axing indicates that Australian cricket has embarked upon a new strategy. No longer is it enough to manage a slow decline from the heights attained in recent decades. More.. Good but not great: dropping Hauritz is an indication of Australia's new outlook Peter Roebuck November 22, 2010 . Nathan Hauritz's axing indicates that Australian cricket has embarked upon a new strategy. No longer is it enough to manage a slow decline from the heights attained in recent decades. Australia has inexorably slipped from first to fifth in the rankings. It is not enough. Excellence is expected, and it is better to suffer defeats in its pursuit than to retain a stable position. That is the meaning of the move. It's not entirely about the contenders. It's about a state of mind. Hauritz has not been dropped because he has done anything wrong, or let the side down. He has been ditched because he is serviceable, not special. The selectors have decided that is no longer enough. He might be the best spinner around but he cannot fly. Advertisement: Story continues below Plainly, the selectors intend to prune and plant with the ruthlessness missing in recent years but often observed in the past. Players not quite up to the task will be told as much. Genuinely gifted players will be identified and promoted quickly, dropped after a poor patch and recalled as soon as they have sorted out their games. Let the moderate beware. That was the path followed by many past champions. On the other hand, top players will be retained until permanent decline becomes an established fact, not a widely held opinion. Class does not grow on trees. Hauritz has been the beneficiary of a conservative panel trying to produce a competitive team. He is now the victim of a more aggressive outlook. As far as Test cricket is concerned, his career is over. He has been judged as a worthy cricketer unable to provide the exceptional performances demanded in Australian teams. It is cruel but it is often the way forward. He has been cast as a cricketer of time and place, not a man for all seasons. Hauritz's experiences tell the story of Australian cricket in the post-Warne world. A cricketer from head to toe, a thinker and with the courage to be ambitious, he could not break through in Queensland, and headed to browner fields further south. Thereafter he worked his way through the ranks, constantly supplementing his skills, and finally convincing sceptics that he could hold his own in the best company. Along the way he proved himself to be the most reliable spinner in the country. By then steadiness had become a virtue. Others came and went, Brad Hogg into early retirement, Beau Casson into a painful retreat, Bryce McGain into wounded obscurity, Jason Krezja into turbulent rehabilitation. Meanwhile Hauritz plugged away. At first he survived because he was the last man standing. Durability has its place in the reckoning. Gradually his stocks rose as he took wickets on firm home pitches and proved that he could turn the ball and beat batsmen in the air. In short, he defied and then surpassed expectations. Until then he had seemed better suited to the one-day game where his control and tenacity forced batsmen to take risks. As time passed, he matured into a solid Test cricketer. In part he was lucky with his timing. Left-handed batsmen and bowlers have been spreading as quickly as cane toads. Their domination means that offies more often turn the ball away from the bat, and can use the rough to trouble the remaining rump of right-handers. The revival of off-spin has not been a fluke. And so Hauritz became a regular in the side, almost an integral part of it. Soon he was playing in all three forms of the game. Nor did he let the side down. His record speaks for itself. Not that figures always tell the full story. Arguably, performances against the top few sides ought to be put in a separate category. That has often been the case. Only in the 1980s were all the senior teams strong. Hauritz kept going, taking wickets at a respectable rate and price. Despite the Oval setback and his hidings in India he was entitled to believe he'd get first crack at the Poms. None of it has been enough to persuade the selectors to retain the tweaker. Plain as day they don't want to get bogged down with players able to hold the line in tough times. In their eyes, Hauritz lacks the venom expected from an Australian spinner. Accordingly, they decided to try another fellow. The panel had lost faith not as much in his contributions as his capacity. Xavier Doherty's performances will be watched with interest. Australia wants to restore its traditional strengths. If the incumbents provide those qualities they will hold their places. If not, the best of the young speedsters will be thrown into the pool. It's an attempt to instil the vitality of a young country into the body of an ageing team.

[achilles]

The writer can come up with some brilliant insights at times. I like the point he's made about being ruthless at times. Sometimes you need someone who will not only be consistent but win you matches by himself. I feel really bad for Hauritz, but he is a safe bowler, not an adventurous one.

[Ram]

New Outlook? Clueless is more like the word..They're confused like hell. It wasnt 2 months ago that Ponting was ADAMANT that Hauritz 'was a shoo-in for the Ashes'.. They played him the 2nd test, despite the fact that Ponting turned to part-timers like North and Clarke to break the p'ship b/w VVS and Ishant on day 5 in Mohali. That is how ineffective he was. Yet, they didn’t want to send confusing signals just ahead of the ashes and kept him the team for the 2nd test, even though it was impossible to miss how impotent he was. When Peter writes this ‘Hauritz has been the beneficiary of a conservative panel trying to produce a competitive team. He is now the victim of a more aggressive outlook. As far as Test cricket is concerned, his career is over. He has been judged as a worthy cricketer unable to provide the exceptional performances demanded in Australian teams. It is cruel but it is often the way forward. He has been cast as a cricketer of time and place, not a man for all seasons.’, that is probably the most optimistic assessment of a frankly disastrous situation one can come up with. When you ditch your so-called leading spinner just before the beginning of the most important series in years, that is not a sign of an ‘aggressive outlook’, it is a sign of pre-series preparation in shambles. The Aussies are clearly in tatters. Everything that could possibly go wrong with their pre-series preparation, has gone wrong. They had a harrowing defeat to India, their current best pacer (Bollinger) got injured and there big question marks over his readiness, the ex-best pacer (Johnson) has regressed significantly, their middle order is a bunch of guys who are, for all practical purposes just one test match failure from being dropped, their Vice Captain had his captaincy credentials publicly undermined and he had to come defending himself. The so-called middle order substitutes who were supposed to step up in the case the current middle order failed, failed as well, in the tour game. This is by far, the most disorganized and disjointed Aussie team in years. They might still come out and perform on the field, but that will not take away all the drama that is unfolding off the field. I would be extremely surprised if someone doesn’t write a book chronicling all the struggles of the Aussies leading up to the Ashes. It would make for fascinating reading.

[Bradman99]

Sure, the preaparation hasn't been perfect but I don't think too much needs to be read into that. The bottom line is Australia will have their full strength 11 walking out on that pitch, unless Clarke were to be deemed unfit to play. At the end of the day we will have a team out on that pitch who will be pumped up by the occasion and the atmosphere created by the supporters. A big first session and England will be the team under the pump, it can change very quickly.

[achilles]

Sure' date=' the preaparation hasn't been perfect but I don't think too much needs to be read into that. The bottom line is Australia will have their full strength 11 walking out on that pitch, unless Clarke were to be deemed unfit to play. At the end of the day we will have a team out on that pitch who will be pumped up by the occasion and the atmosphere created by the supporters. A big first session and England will be the team under the pump, it can change very quickly.[/quote'] Do you think dropping Hauritz can be a motivator for him to bounce back stronger? Or will he be lost in the oblivion like Jason Krejza, Beau and Bryce?

[Bradman99]

Do you think dropping Hauritz can be a motivator for him to bounce back stronger? Or will he be lost in the oblivion like Jason Krejza' date=' Beau and Bryce?[/quote'] I reckon it will be a motivator for him for sure cause he will want to prove them wrong. Whether he is good enough to do that or not I'm not sure haha.

[King Tendulkar]

Aussies are very average now. But even avegare sides can be effective at home. Aussies home record is top notch. Aussies are in a mess and making all weird decisions. Dropping of Hauritz is a mistake, his record is ok, he is their best choice. However, aussies will sneak this series. England aint all that, especially anderson away from home will be exposed. And the hype over Finn will be exploded.

[Chandan]

So how did you like Doherty, folks? Is he anything great, for which a supposedly steady spinner has to be discarded? Do any of you see him developing into a great spinner? At the moment I don't, though he has bowled quite well in the test till now, as a spinner can bowl on a green top on day one. Or am I too blinded by Warne's brilliance that I just can't see this lad's potential? What are your opinion?

[Cricketics]

The new Aussie spinner Xavier Doherty How did you find him?? I personally enjoyed his bowling. Looks to be a sort of bowler who would be very good for odi cricket, and surely can become a much better test bowler. Reminds me of brad hogg. Can bowl some good flippers too.

[Sid]

Ya I agree much better limited overs bowler than a test bowler ATM,but can improve and most importantly has a very good arm ball,which is crucial to a left arm spinner's success

[vamos_rafa]

Looked more of a ODI bowler... but best of the lot for the Aussies. He toook 2 wickets as well so should help his confidence.

[TumTum]

Of course he looked good after watching Hauritz bowling darts for so long.

[cowboysfan]

the problem the aussies have is the lack of choice.if he is their best spinner then the cupboard is really bare.

[King Tendulkar]

Looked totally average. Sehwag , Sachin and laxy would smoke hime everywere no matter how many times he would throw ball in to keeper in threatning manner!

[TumTum]

King Tendulkar did your parents abuse you when you were little? Your posts are full of bitterness and hatred. I myself feel disgusted reading them. You need help, seriously.

[Bradman99]

King Tendulkar did your parents abuse you when you were little? Your posts are full of bitterness and hatred. I myself feel disgusted reading them. You need help, seriously.

Agreed.

[ZodiaC]

Looked totally average. Sehwag ' date=' Sachin and laxy would smoke hime everywere no matter how many times he would throw ball in to keeper in threatning manner![/quote'] :facepalm:

[Chalks]

He's outbowled the world's #2 ranked bowler so far in this test. :P

[King Tendulkar]

King Tendulkar did your parents abuse you when you were little? Your posts are full of bitterness and hatred. I myself feel disgusted reading them. You need help, seriously.

OK sorry. Doherty looked a brilliant spinner and feel Indian batters like Tendulkar and Laxy would stuggle against this new spin sensation, with his sensational FC bowling average of 48. They way he tuned the ball massive and caused havoc means auusies have finally got their replacement for Warne. Cant believe they did not play this 28 year old sooner after warne retired and instead play around 58 spinners before this guy with an average of 48 arrived. I know we have had many threads from in awe of aussie fanatics hailing Hauritz and Krejza and co etc etc. But this guy looked amazing and is no doubt the real deal!

[hari504504]

bowls like Monty on steroids..