tooextracool
International Coach
There has to be some level of performance at the FC level behind selection whether it be a year or 10 years. I cannot understand the logic of picking players because he played the innings of his life the other day as is often done by the WI selectors or as Duncan famously did with Trescothick. There is no rationale for picking players based on solely on potential because unless that potential has been churned into some level of performance at the FC level then its not going to happen at the international level any time soon either.Yes it is rare, but outside of AUS, SA & ENG all the other sides who average/poor domestic structures pick players basically on potentially & get mixed results. Thats the way it is...
Thats not what anyone has said though.Coming back to the point regarding selecting players for the ENG ODI side, just because a man is averaging 40+ or has an ER of less than 4.50 means that he would automatically be a hit in ODI's .
Batting someone out of position has nothing to do with the argument that someone who has failed at the domestic level can succeed in the international level. Sehwag averages almost 50 for Delhi and nearly 50 for Leicestshire. That he succeeded at the international level is hardly a surprise because he had been a success at the domestic level. The fact that he wasnt an opener in the FC level and has still been scoring runs at the intl level is not comparable to the argument that someone who has failed at the domestic level can still succeed at the international level.All though its unlikely the other way can't be irrelevant since it happens all the time.
Look at the India opener theory all those guys that i mentioned have come in and failed yet you had a guy like Sehwag who had no experience opening for Delhi when IND came here in 02 yet has become Indians most dominant opener since Gavaskar (despite the many question marks that surround him.
If Denly averages 500 runs at an average of 40+ this season then his selection would be justified. Even then I would only select him having actually watched him for myself to judge how well he actually played that season. If he puts in 2-3 years of good performances then I think he would be thoroughly deserving of a place in the side. Until then I dont think picking him would be in anyway justified. The only time I have watched him (India tour of England), he had appalling footwork and if its still as bad, I dont see him succeeding at the test match level.So if Denley were to picked in the near future once he keeps batting like how he did the other day i wouldn't be againts it. But given the whole we have at the top of the order ATM & lets say he makes the role his own i would then have to hope his career takes the Trescothick or Vettori route rather than the Anderson or Edwards route.