Former Australia captain Michael Clarke criticized the national selectors after Nathan McSweeney was dropped for the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against India. The selection committee, led by George Bailey, came under scrutiny following the announcement of the 15-player squad on Friday.
McSweeney’s Struggles and Clarke’s Support
McSweeney, who opened alongside Usman Khawaja in the first three BGT Tests, made way for 19-year-old Sam Konstas in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. At 25, McSweeney had a challenging debut series, scoring just 72 runs at an average of 14.40. Jasprit Bumrah was his primary challenge.
Despite McSweeney’s struggles, Clarke defended him, pointing out that most of the players in the squad are over 30. “Everyone apart from Nathan McSweeney is over 30 years of age and high 30s. What are we going to do? Continue to give a youngster two or three games, drop him, try someone else and keep these older players?” Clarke said on the Beyond23 cricket podcast, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Clarke Questions the Selectors’ Decision
Clarke also raised concerns about the future of McSweeney. He questioned what would happen if Khawaja, 38, were to retire soon. “What happens if Usman Khawaja in two Test matches retires? Does McSweeney then come back in, or does he go to the back of the queue?” Clarke remarked. He believes this move could end McSweeney’s career. “They picked him and he deserved the summer,” he said.
Struggles of Senior Players
Furthermore, Clarke pointed out the struggles of the senior players. Khawaja, for instance, has only 63 runs in the series. Marnus Labuschagne was under pressure until he scored 64 in Adelaide. Likewise, Steve Smith had a tough time before his 101 in Brisbane. Clarke highlighted, “We’ve got Usman Khawaja who has just turned 38, Ussie has made no runs. He’s a senior player. We’ve got Marnus Labuschagne, we were talking about before the series, before he made his 60, he has made no runs. Smithy [Steve Smith] batted like a genius [in Brisbane] and made a hard-fought hundred, but he’s been under pressure.”
Concerns Over Mitchell Marsh’s Role
Finally, Clarke mentioned Mitchell Marsh, noting that he had bowled only two overs in the Brisbane Test. He emphasized, “Selecting a player and selecting your team is not about right here at this minute. There is a lot more that goes into it.” Clarke believes these decisions should consider long-term team-building and consistency.