Brad Hodge: Australia missing glue in the middle order

FORMER Australia player Brad Hodge has pinned Australia’s current struggles in limited overs cricket on the absence of players in the mould of Michael Clarke and Damien Martyn in the XI.

Brad Hodge: Australia is missing an accumulator like Michael Clarke or Steve Smith.

BRAD Hodge has pinned Australia’s current batting woes on the over selection of top-order batsmen and a lack of accumulators in the mould of Michael Clarke.

Australia’s squad against South Africa featured seven batsmen who regularly play their List A cricket in the top three for their state teams. It’s a trend Hodge says needs to change if it is to improve at both one-day and Twenty20 cricket.

“Every time we go to a T20 World Cup we pick six openers to bat and we just pump them in there and see what happens,” Hodge said on the Bowlology Report. “It’s too difficult.

“We’re trying to find spots for players that aren’t traditionally good players against spin or aren’t traditionally good players at starting their innings with a ring field. People aren’t sure about what to do.

“When there is confusion about what you’re meant to do and you get out in the middle and you’re not sure it just creates chaos, panic and you’re going to lose out.”

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The Victorian, who played 46 matches for Australia, said the team lacks “glue” in the middle-order, pointing to the key roles Clarke, Damien Martyn and the currently suspended Steve Smith have played in the country’s most successful 50-over outfits.

“We’re missing that glue around No.4,” he said. “Michael Clarke played the role, Damien Martyn played the role.

“Michael (Clarke) obviously got a lot of criticism for the way he played in terms of he’d probably score 80 off 100 balls but it actually enabled the likes of Ponting, Hayden, and Andrew Symonds after him to go a bit harder.

“He (Clarke) averaged around 45-50 (44.60), and Damien Martyn (40.8) the same. They don’t get out so if you know that guy is going to get 45 most times he walks to the crease, we’re not potentially losing wickets.”

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Michael Clarke averaged 44.60 in one-day cricket.

With that in mind, Hodge believes Smith should slot straight back into the team when his ban comes to an end and does not want to see Chris Lynn playing in the middle-order again.

“I think it has to be (Smith). I don’t think there’s any other person that stands out. (David Hussey) was an accumulator but he accumulates at a good strike rate. Same with Damien Martyn, same with Steve Smith. I think that’s where we’re getting really confused. I don’t think Chris Lynn is that player at all.”

The Victorian said he would pick Shaun Marsh to take the role if Smith was not selected.

Brad Hodge pointed to the importance of Damien Martyn to Australia in the 1990s and 2000s.

Given one-day captain Aaron Finch’s comments after Sunday’s series loss against South Africa, Hodge shouldn't have to wait too long for the return of accumulators to the ODI team.

“If you look at our line-up on paper at the moment you’d say it’s an attacking side,” Finch said.

“A fairly one-dimensional side in terms of attack, versus workers of the ball and your traditional batsmen. Not to disrespect any of the players by any stretch, but it’s probably that way and we haven’t got it right for a while.”

Originally published as Brad Hodge: Australia missing glue in the middle order