Bat and ball / Paul Moon / 12 June 2008 /

Pablo Luna - Moonlighting for Betfair. Pablo thinks that the retirement of Stuart McGill after the curent West Indies series is just the latest in a number of bodyblows to the Australian Test side, but how will they deal with it?

What the Dickens is happening to Australian cricket? Is it the end of their cycle? Have they got complacent, are they basking in their own smugness? I know they are not fools, so what is happening? Make no mistake there are real problems afoot! For the first time in recent years Australia find themselves with a real dilemma. They are losing players at a rate of knots due to retirement with no ready-made replacements!

In the past they have always ruthlessly replaced players before the necessity was needed but could it be that the rich vein of talent they take for granted is drying up?

They have not legitimately replaced Langer, Martyn, McGrath and Gilchrist. Hayden will retire after the 2009 Ashes and to make matters worse they have lost all three spinners, Warne, Hogg and MacGill in the last 18 months.

MacGill's retirement exposes the lack of depth in Australia's spinning ranks post-Warne. There are few young spinners coming through in state cricket, with Cricket Australia contracted pair Cullen Bailey and Dan Cullen both struggling and nowhere near ready, while the bowling of Victorian all-rounder Cameron White has regressed. The best spin bowler in Australia at the moment is Victorian Bryce McGain but at 36 he has obviously been ignored.

Replacing batsmen is the easiest of the disciplines and then pace bowlers but unearthing spin bowlers are like looking for hen's teeth. They take time to mature and can only develop in the longer form of the game. The next spinner will have to come from interstate cricket where there is no heir apparent, only consternation.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting has contended with more disruption to the Test side than any Australian captain since Allan Border and now has to concede that he will use the part-time spin of Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke more often in the near future. This bits and pieces mentality cannot substitute a quality spinner and is a litmus test proving deficiencies and a drop in standard living inside the current Australian cricket team.

So what are the options for Australia? How will they address the issue? It will be interesting for us to see how they deal with adversity. It certainly represents a challenge for them to get back on track and quick. They have a significant year coming up.

MacGill is convinced that Beau Casson is the man to follow him through the same route and into the Test team but I am not persuaded! Casson's Australian first-class record is a warning he will struggle at international level. Following the current series against the West Indies, Australia will play 12 Tests against India, New Zealand and South Africa ahead of the 2009 Ashes series starting in July. What a baptism of fire for the 25-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner!

Blooding an inexperienced spinner is high risk. Should they play an extra fast bowler to help the bowling workload? On occasions it is possible to partially reduce the loss of a spinner but this quick fix is foolhardy. To ignore the condition and history of a pitch is to give away edge and advantage so it really is a catch-22 situation.

Australia are now embarking on a serious down turn. They have a depleted pallor and have been serving some average fare on their Caribbean tour, particularly in the bowling department. This should encourage the West Indies on Thursday 12 June 2008 when they play the third test in Bridgetown, Barbados. Latest Betfair prices shows West Indies [7.6] Australia [1.58] and the Draw [4.1].

No side has a divine right to have a world-class spinner and it's easy to forget that before Warne debuted in 1992 many were lamenting the fact that Australia's spin bowling stocks were non existent. To unearth the next wrist spinner may take a while. Ponting has admitted that his side has 'come back to the pack' recently. After the India series they could be passed!

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