Wicket keepers are great.
No really they are.
But Australia is losing one, so it is now their turn to look into the pantry cupboard to see what there is on the shelf.
Brad Haddin is the breakfast serial that is marketed as “tastes great and is good for you”. In other words you know that it’s going to let you down one way or the other, you just hope it’s not both. He can seriously bat, and he can catch the ball more often than not. Could possibly bat at 6 with some one like Noffke or McDonald behind him. He is the sound logical choice, so I’ll look elsewhere.
Luke Ronchi is pancake mix, sure homemade pancakes are better, but this is easier, and your pancakes will come quickly. Negative points are his Kiwi heritage, positive points, he hits the ball like it cheated him in a card game. Is good enough to get picked as batsmen in the best domestic batting line up in the world. Only in Australia would he not be an automatic selection.
Adam Crosthwaite is the bag of chips, sure they taste good, but you can’t eat them for 5 days. His keeping is top notch, his batting is dyslexic. The other night he won a game off his helmet, and he is by far Victoria’s best batsmen under pressure. But a sever lack of runs means he is only an automatic selection in one dayers and 2020. Is willing to cheat, which should be a pre requisite for Australian keepers, especially after the last few years of the saint walker behind the stumps.
Chris Hartley is a Soda Fountain, in the 50’s everyone had one, but not many of us have them now. The boy can seriously wicket keep, but he can only just bat, and like Darren Berry before him he was born in the wrong generation. If John Howard gets re elected and the world starts commie bashing again, he may just wicket keep for Australia.
And Tim Paine is like the expensive bottle of wine you put in the bottom of your pantry because you can’t afford to put it in a better spot, it will age well. Look the boy isn’t quite ready, but if the selectors want to make a Healy choice, which they won’t, this is the man you would pick. He is a good enough batsman to open for Tassie, and it would be good for Australian cricket if a Tasmanian was in the test team.
Paine is my choice, that’s because I’m crazy in the coconut.
I’ve written about this before, but this time i took it seriously.
