Not since Keith Miller threw down his last post-match martini has the Australian team possesed a quality true all-rounder, the type of player who can score a ton and then take five wickets, coming to the aid of their imperiled captain when they are needed most. Sure we've had the Benaud's, the Davidson's and the Walter's, yet none of these have really done well enough in both skills to be able to hold a place with only their batting or bowling.
The great all-rounders of history- the Botham's, Miller's, Dev's, Sobber's, Haddle's and the like have not only been skilled tradesmen in both artforms but have been the cornerstone's of their teams, able to turn a match with the swing of a bat or the release of a ball. In a sense, Australia saw the potential of having a class all-rounder when Shane Warne set the Ashes allight, and it was undoubtedly Andrew Flintoff's bludgening batting and expert bowling which gave England the edge in the series.
So there remains two questions on the mind of every Australian cricket fan.
1. Do we need an Allrounder?
and
2. Do we have one in the stores?
A few names come to mind- Watson, Hopes, White, Thornely and Symonds. Out of these only really Symonds and Watson seem to be capable of cracking the test scene with sucsess in the next few years and one of those two must surely be getting on in years.
Another name which is raising eye-brows is young 18 year old Mosies Henriques... A name which you likely have never heard yet surely will be hearing much more about in the furture.
Ricky Ponting had this to say about him earlier.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ponting Any kid who bats at three for his club, opens the bowling and comes with as big a raps as Mosies is one I personaly, and Cricket Australia have to earmark early, get in the system and bring up to speed as quickly as possible. |
The young man has been a rookie with NSW for nearly 2 seasons now and proformed magnificently in the recent AUS U/19 tour of India, averaging 44 with the bat (including 85*) and 18 with the ball.
Ofcourse Watson and others are ahead of Henriqes at the momment but it is certinly exciting to think of the prospects.