MIDWINTER BLUES

The midwinter solstice is history for yet another year and all at the shed are wildly rejoicing. Apart from anticipating waxing the board and cracking open the home-brew, lengthening sunshine allows for an extra over or two in the backyard before the batsman begs for mercy and a bad light decision. The countdown has begun and there are only 108 days to the beginning of the Australian domestic season. In the meantime the national squad will play the Twenty/20 World Cup and a 7 match ODI series in India but unless the editors of this fine publication generously adjust their priorities, the crew at the shed will be watching those matches on the flat-screen.

With blue skies and warmer days approaching it is time that your correspondent faced what he has been deliberately ignoring for most of 2007. Impermanence, like the snow melting into the rocky earth of Kosciusko has taken some months to sink in. It’s time to accept that the retirements of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne will forever change the make-up of Australia's bowling stocks.

Pigeon was the rock on which the pace attack was constructed. Shane was an automatic selection for 15 years. Many pundits have opined that they will be impossible to replace and Australia will now come back to the field in international cricket. Here at the shed we are not convinced but like all things, time will tell.

When the Australian selectors, mo mafia David Boon and Merv Hughes, solicitor Andrew Hilditch and apprentice Jamie Cox, named the contracted squad at the beginning of May, this malady was in the forefront of their collective minds. Over an unshaven frothy glass with Boonie through the week he enlightened the Thunder to the process. Players were chosen on their form from last season and the likelihood of national selection over the next 12 months taking into account who Australia plays. The balance of the side and the need to ensure the future development of the Test and one-day international team was paramount.

The batsman picked themselves and four wrist-spinners, White, Bailey, Hogg and Macgill were selected to cover for Warne’s absence. Eight fast bowlers were chosen blending youth and experience, left and right arms, swing and seam with both red and white ball.

With the cold, hard truth staring us keenly in the eye, the occupants of the shed ran the rule over the squad of quicks and present for our cherished and beloved visitors our collective wisdom for your leisurely perusal.

Brett Lee - Age 30
499 international wickets
This summer is the defining season in Brett’s career. Now that McGrath is retired it will be up to Bing to become the leader and spearhead of the attack. Injured and bitterly disappointed at missing the World Cup the blonde speedster will want to make up for lost opportunities by terrorizing the Sri Lankans and Indians who have never been entirely comfortable on the hard bouncy pitches on the Australian continent. Often brilliant in the 50 over format the jury is still out when it comes to the longer form of the grand game.

Jason Gillespie - Age 32
402 international wickets
The not-so-old stager deserves his place in the squad after a solid domestic season playing in a poor South Australian team. Obviously needed for his experience and guile, Dizzy would be a welcome inclusion not only for his tight bowling but for his resolute batting. Lost a yard of pace but has adjusted in the last 12 months and is expected to teach the younger more inexperienced bowlers what is required for a long career at the international level..

Nathan Bracken - Age 29
128 international wickets
Regarded by some as a one-day specialist Bracks like all his team-mates had a great World Cup. Has only played 5 Tests to date but with 25 Test matches to be contested between now and December 2008 he is sure to play a few more. His skill at reverse swing and his newly developed clever changes of pace has made him a difficult prospect in all conditions.

Stuart Clark - Age 31
84 international wickets
A late bloomer Stu has excelled in Test matches and will be the obvious replacement for McGrath. From the same Sydney grade club as Pigeon he has modelled himself on the great man and will be the first bowler selected when Australia’s next Test rolls around in November.

Shane Watson - Age 26
65 international wickets
The big hope of Australian cricket. If Watson can fulfill his potential he may eventually be regarded as Australia’s best allrounder since Keith Miller. Will allow Ponting an extra pace bowling option and will more than likely bat at 6 or 7 and eventually replace Gilchrist as Australia’s premier allrounder.

Shaun Tait - Age 24
33 international wickets
Prematurely selected during The 2005 Ashes, the injury prone paceman has recently had elbow surgery and hopes to recover for the Twenty/20 World Cup. If he and Lee are ever fit at the same time the selectors will be tempted to play them both. Ponting has made no secret of his desire to have Lee and Tait bowling in tandem at the world’s best bats. A frightening and most entertaining prospect and if it ever occurs Australia will have a 21st century version of Lillee and Thomson.

Mitchell Johnson - Age 25
26 international wickets
Identified and fast-tracked through the system by Dennis Lillee left-arm Johnson is another youngster of which much is expected. Quick, tall and accurate, Mitch may have to wait another season or two to cement a place in the first XI. He will be competing with fellow left-armer Bracken for a place and could probably do with another solid season for Queensland under his belt before he is ready.

Ben Hilfenhaus - Age 24
3 international wickets
Incredibly Ben was laying bricks for a living less than 12 months ago. After taking a record number of wickets in a domestic season and with his laconic rural Tasmanian demeanor, Hilfenhaus is already a cult hero through out the continent. An intelligent quick who can swing it both ways as well as being a master of seam and length Ben regularly took top order wickets and was the key to Tasmania winning it’s first ever domestic 4 day trophy. Many good pundits within the cricket community think that Hilfenhaus may be one of the Baggygreen’s all-time greats. There is a lot of pressure on the lad and it will be interesting to see how he develops over the next 18 months.

Combined Warne and McGrath snared 1949 international wickets. Their absence does leave a great big hole in Australia’s bowling set-up. Of that there is no doubt. In the next 12 months it is likely that all eight selected quicks will get an opportunity to push for permanent selection. Only Stuart Clark at this stage is certain of a place at the beginning of the next Test series against Sri Lanka. Watson, if he can stay fit, will play as a batting allrounder. Macgill will be the spinner and so that only leaves two spots for the other six contracted pace bowlers to fill. Competition will be fierce and it is going to be very interesting witnessing the evolution of Australia’s next generation of bowling partnerships.