Robert Craddock: Why Scott Boland faces an uphill battle to play another Test
Scott Boland took more wickets in his first 10 Tests than Glenn McGrath or Shane Warne … but will he play an 11th? CRASH CRADDOCK analysis
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Scott Boland took more wickets in his fist 10 Tests than Glenn McGrath or Shane Warne … but will he play an 11th?
Life’s tough on fringe quicks these days. Because every match counts in the new World Test Championship, rest and rotation have become dirty words.
Pat Cummins, who once said Boland was his favourite player, was very optimistic about Boland getting a go this season despite his omission at his beloved MCG against Pakistan in the second Test.
But nothing is guaranteed. Imagine this scenario. Australia goes one-up in a two Test series against the poor old West Indies next month and one of the quicks has a niggle entering a Test in bouncy Brisbane.
Do you go for 34-year-old Boland or, with eight members of your team at 32 or older, have a look at the fiery Lance “Wild Thing” Morris with a view to unleashing him as a shock weapon against India next season?
Tough choice.
Mitchell Starc’s declaration that Australia’s pace attack could play all seven Tests this summer could sentence Boland to the supreme challenge of breaking into the side in the five Test series against India next season at age 35.
Australia’s remarkable attack of Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon need only 35 more wickets combined to become the most prolific wicket-taking foursome of all time in Test matches played together.
Their current total is 381 and England’s Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali hold the record on 415.
Boland is certainly good enough to play more and he has strong support in key places.
If he never played another Test, Boland could be proud of what he has achieved.
His 6-7 against England in front of his adoring home fans made him an instant national cult hero and his overall record of 35 wickets at 20.34 from 10 Tests is outstanding despite the hiccup of taking just two wickets in two Tests on the last Ashes tour.
Boland’s wicket tally after 10 Tests is better than Warne (25) or McGrath (33).
It may be a tad unfair to compare them given the two champions were just starting their careers and he was a fully formed product by the time he made his Test debut but there is no doubting the quality of his work.
But Boland would not be the first player to warrant a start on his figures but miss out with Australia’s depth – normally in batting – curtailing some promising Test careers in bygone generations.
Stuart Law batted only once in Test cricket for 54 not out against Sri Lanka and never played again due to Australia’s middle order depth.
The prolific Victorian Brad Hodge averaged 55 including a double century in his six Tests and was not invited back while Martin Love scored 100 not out in his last Test innings before also being a victim of the middle order squeeze.
Consolation for Boland is an old quote from Greg Chappell who said despite the vagaries of luck and the whims of selection, most players generally get what their talent deserves.
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Originally published as Robert Craddock: Why Scott Boland faces an uphill battle to play another Test
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