Aaron Finch believes Sheffield Shield apprenticeships for Test selection a thing of the past
AARON Finch says the days of serving long Sheffield Shield apprenticeships are over and Aussie fans should get used to players being picked on potential rather than results.
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AUSSIE Test hopeful Aaron Finch says the days of serving long Sheffield Shield apprenticeships are over and more bolters will be wearing the baggy green.
The Australian Test squad has gathered in Brisbane to begin preparations for next month’s two-match series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
The series will be Australia’s first since captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and opener Cameron Bancroft were suspended after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
The absence of Smith, Warner and Bancroft, combined with injuries to star fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, has opened to the door for a new wave of Test cricketers.
Short-form specialist Finch, 31, has earned his first call-up to the Test squad after a 135-match international career to go with 76 first-class matches.
But there has been some controversial selections in new coach Justin Langer’s 15-man squad.
Queensland quick Brendan Doggett has earned selection despite playing only nine first-class matches and Bulls teammate Marnus Labuschagne has a modest batting average of 34.07 from 35 matches.
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But Finch said the days of toiling away in the Sheffield Shield waiting for a Test call-up were over and fans should get used to players being picked on potential rather than results.
“There are a lot of young players who are super talented and getting more opportunities than they did 20 years ago when it was the old fashioned ‘grind your runs out for six, seven, eight years and do your apprenticeship in Shield cricket’,” he said.
“There are so many different formats and guys just aren’t playing as much as they used to.
“The majority of the time a lot of Test players were playing a lot of Shield cricket and we just don’t see that anymore.
“The guys that are coming through … Marnus has had a great couple of years, Michael Neser has been superb for Queensland.
“Brendan Doggett is new on the scene and played really well. He got through a full Shield season in his first year which is really impressive from a young guy.”
Bulls trio Doggett, Labuschagne and Neser are considered outside chances to play on the tour under new skipper Tim Paine.
The likes of Glenn Maxwell and Chris Tremain were controversial omissions from the squad, but Finch said selectors had a plan for the post-ball tampering era.
“It’s not surprising, there are different roles for different people in every side,” he said.
“The selectors have made a call and that’s fine. Regardless of who gets picked in what format and when, time will tell and there’s guys that are unlucky in every team.
“There is always someone unlucky not to be picked. That’s part and parcel of our game.”
Finch is coming off a hot English summer where he starred for Surrey in multiple formats.
The powerfully built batsman made his international debut for Australia in the Twenty20 arena in 2011 and said it would be a dream come true if he was picked to play Test cricket.
“You grow up in the backyard dreaming of playing Test cricket and getting a baggy green,” he said.
“It’s closer now than it has been before. Hopefully if I get an opportunity I can take it.”
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Originally published as Aaron Finch believes Sheffield Shield apprenticeships for Test selection a thing of the past