‘He’s got to be contracted’: Hogg picks Australia’s next paceman

HE’S been dubbed “an absolute gun” and a potential Ashes saviour. Veterans insist this spearhead’s future is in the Baggy Green.

Is this man the answer to Australia’s England debacle?

THE Ashes tour of England may be more than two years away, but that hasn’t stopped Aussie veterans from handing advice to selectors on their must-pick players for the Baggy Green.

Australia’s recent record in England is dire to say the least, losing the last four series’ abroad on the traditionally green-topped wickets and overcast conditions that suit swing bowling.

One would argue Australia’s pace bowling cordon is the safest section of the squad with the in-form Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc spearheading the attack, but an Aussie veteran thinks the inclusion of a South Australian quick would wreak havoc on the home side come 2019.

Chadd Sayers’ omission from Australia’s Test side this summer left a number of greats scratching their heads.

Chadd Sayers, a dangerously in-form paceman for the Redbacks, turned heads immediately after the commencement of the annual Shield season last year.

Sayers was picked for Australia’s 14-man squad to tour New Zealand earlier in 2016 but missed his chance to bag a cap, but those days may soon be over.

Sayers’ incredible 2016/17 season, which saw him rack up 46 First-class wickets at an average of 16, propelled him from a relatively unknown talent to a talking point among greats of the game.

His omission from Australia’s Test squad this summer ruffled the feathers of Victorian great Darren Berry, saying the selectors made the “wrong call” by selecting the taller Jackson Bird over the 180cm Sayers.

Former Australian fast bowler Rodney Hogg threw his weight behind the South Australian quick, urging selectors to change their ways before Australia heads off to England again.

“If I’m running a county and I’m looking at his performances, and I’m looking at the type of quality of bowler he is, I’m thinking to myself we’re going to sign this bloke up for the next three years,” Hogg said on SEN Thursday.

Sayers’ swing bowling has been tormenting batsmen around the country.

“He’s an absolute gun and we’re going to sign him up on a really strong contract, and all of a sudden he goes over and plays county cricket, and we haven’t got him in our preparation for the Ashes in 2019.

“I know that’s looking down the track a bit, but we’ve got a gun there that will help us win the Ashes in 2019.

“I don’t know how they do their contracts, but he’s one who’s got to be contracted big time to Cricket Australia in preparation of wining the Ashes in 2019.”

Sayers’ noticeably shorter frame next to Australian quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who both stand at over 1.9m tall, would understandably put a flicker of doubt in the minds of selectors, but Hogg believes the Redback’s ability to move the ball through the air is by far enough to warrant selection.

“We’ve lost five of our last seven Ashes, we’ve lost the last four in England.

“Now we’ve got in our midst here (a bloke) who’s got 46 wickets (this season) at 16, it’s incredible in Shield cricket.”

“The great bowlers in England bowl between 80 miles an hour and 85 miles an hour, if you bowl over that you don’t swing the ball as much. Sayers bowls between 80 and 85 miles.”