Cricket Australia’s batting woes continue as Mitch Marsh the only one to stand up against West Indies

Fed up with mediocrity, Aussie selectors left three batting spots on the contract list up for grabs. But, still, there’s only one player putting his hand up, writes Robert Craddock.

Matthew Hayden once caught a marlin fishing in the West Indies but Australia’s selectors have dropped a line there and only received one bite.

Selector Trevor Hohns could not have been more emphatic had he grabbed a top hat and microphone and hollered “Step right up …’’ as he announced the West Indies white ball touring squad.

With seven senior players resting due to bubble, Hohns declared any player who stood up on tour while the stars were out would get a rails run in selection for the T20 World Cup in the UAE in October.

Deep down, you sense Hohns wanted them to stand up so he could send a message to experienced players - if you skip tours, you can, and will, lose your place.

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Mitchell Marsh was the only Aussie to impress with the bat in the T20 series. Picture: Randy Brooks

But only one man - Mitchell Marsh – was truly roused by the memo with an exceptional tour featuring innings of 51, 54 and 75 plus six wickets, very much an against the flow effort as Australia lost the first three matches, and the series, before sneaking home in the fourth game.

The batting response, Marsh apart, has been underwhelming to the point where Australia needs the likes of David Warner and Steve Smith to return so they can look formidable again.

Apart from Marsh, no Australian batsman has scored more than Aaron Finch’s 93 runs, and most have scored much less, spotlighting a batting problem much wider than this tournament.

Australia is mystified why it cannot produce more decent batsmen in all formats so it is trying some creative measures to flush out fresh blood, like leaving three spots open on its 20-man contract list in April to reward those who improve throughout the season.

But so far, the fish are not biting.

Of Australia’s 17 contracted players, only three were batsmen – Warner, Smith and Marnus Labuschagne – which was an unspoken statement by the selectors they were fed up handing out money for mediocrity.

Test great Greg Chappell puts some of batting malaise down to constant chopping and changing of the formats that require different stroke selection which can scramble the mind and muddy techniques.

A ball which you simply must play at in T20 cricket could also be the one you wouldn’t dare poke at on the first morning of a Test at the Gabba.

It’s confusing, and confronting, and it’s why the admirably adaptable Warner, one of the few to truly crack the code, is an even better player than his distinguished record suggests.

Josh Philippe is bowled by Hayden Walsh Jr. in the second T20I. Picture: Randy Brook/AFP

“It’s harder for a young batsman to develop the basics of long form cricket than ever before,’’ Chappell told Cricket.com.au recently.

Old fashioned cricket coaching manuals may instruct batsmen to place their foot to the pitch of the ball, yet doing the polar opposite and clearing that front leg to enhance the hitting arc, has become an art-form.

During Australia’s T20 victory against the West Indies on Thursday, commentators spotlighted how adroitly Lendl Simmons managed to move his leg out of the line during a series of power packed crunches which gave two fingers to the text book.

In bygone eras, Simmons’ moves would be deemed as irreverent as painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa. But the unconventional has become the acceptable.

Over the past three years, Australia has won just five of 13 T20 series, struggling for continuity, a finisher and top-order fluency.

It has raised the question whether the Big Bash is overrated, delivering players who can biff and barge, but may lack the finesse needed to confront international bowlers.

It also raised the question of what, exactly, is the prime purpose of the Big Bash?

Big Bash boss Alistair Dobson told Fairfax this week fan engagement was a greater priority for the competition than producing players for Australia.

No problems with that … but it would be nice to find a batsmen or two along the way.