Hilton Cartwright wants to be selected as a batsman, not an all-rounder, in Australian team
INCUMBENT Test No.6 Hilton Cartwright wants to make a name for himself as a batsman, not an all-rounder, as he tries to lock down a middle-order spot for the Ashes.
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INCUMBENT Test No.6 Hilton Cartwright has a clear message for selectors and critics: I’m not an all-rounder.
With the gloves now well and truly off in the race to lock down the up-for-grabs middle-order spot for the Ashes, Cartwright is eager to ensure he doesn’t become a victim of misperception.
Australian coach Darren Lehmann has emphasised selectors are after a batsman first and foremost in their hunt to fill a position that’s been a poisoned chalice for Australian cricket for more than five years as the Test side looks to put an end to its alarming spate of collapses.
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Candidates for the No.6 spot fall into one of two categories — specialist batsmen and all-rounders.
But even though he’s capable of rolling the arm over, Cartwright doesn’t want his claim for selection being judged through the prism of a Jacques Kallis or Shane Watson.
Cartwright, 25, points to his commanding Sheffield Shield campaign last summer in which he blasted 861 runs at an average of 53.81 to finish second behind only Ed Cowan and the list of leading run-scorers.
With the ball, Cartwright has only 18 first-class wickets in 23 matches and was only thrown the ball sparingly in his first two Tests by captain Steve Smith.
Cartwright isn’t trying to pretend he’s something he’s not with the ball, and is trying to make a name for himself as a batsman.
“It’s almost like the perception around leg spin bowling. Since we had Shane Warne everyone is expecting a new Shane Warne to just pop up,” Cartwright told The Daily Telegraph.
“It’s a very fine art to be an all-rounder and being a very good all-rounder, selected for both bat and ball. I think it’s an extremely hard skill to nail down completely.
“If you can (you want to) definitely be picked for one aspect and continue working on the other aspect. It’ll make your game stronger and over time it gets better.
“I still see myself as a bowling option but if I’m going to get myself into the team its’ going to be as a batter and bowl a handful of overs if needed.
“We’ve got the bowlers to bowl teams out and if things don’t go their way or whatever happens I’ll be there to fill in a certain role but for me to get picked it’s going to be runs on the board rather than taking 40 wickets in a year.”
In two Tests in Sydney and Chittagong, Cartwright has not looked out of place but also hasn’t seized his opportunity — and he knows that being the last man to occupy the No.6 slot means nothing as he hunts desperately for runs in Western Australia’s Shield opener against Tasmania, which begins on Thursday.
Cartwright failed to capitalise on a chance to open the batting with David Warner in two ODIs in India and came home to the one-day Cup, only to bat well down the order at No.7 for the West Australian champions.
However, for the Shield matches he’s expected to reprise the role he nailed down so well last season for the Warriors at No.3.
The driving force behind his Ashes bid is Geoff Marsh — ironically the father of his main selection rivals Shaun and Mitchell — who has simplified Cartwright’s game.
“I’ve been asked a lot is it my spot to lose. could play 15 or 20 Tests and its’ still your spot to lose. Realistically if guys do well it’s a spot up for grabs is the way I’ve seen it and that’s the way I’m going to approach it,” says Cartwright, who maintains his two tastes of Test cricket have made him hungrier.
“It’s not mine cemented. I’ve only played two Test matches and until I’ve played numerous Tests back to back and I’ve got a lot of scores on the board I don’t see it as my spot. You could say that based purely based on the fact I was last guy to play that position but I see it as a spot up for grabs.”