four_or_six
Cricketer Of The Year
I think maybe he shouldn't have been picked. But his List A record isn't much worse than most alternatives, and at least he's shown he has some quality at international level in tests and is in good form. Also, now he has been picked, he's had a good series with the bat.Normally I'd agree with you, but the problem I have with this is the fact that he really shouldn't have been picked in this format in the first place.
If he'd been batting well for consecutive seasons in List A cricket and his keeping was of an acceptable standard, I'd support the decision to keep backing him for a while. However, he was basically a desperation pick - someone decided he just 'had the right stuff' for lack of a better explanation to rise to the ocassion most consistently in ODIs than he had in List A cricket. A selection like this deserves less latitude and patience; I think his time is up in ODIs.
To be honest, I reckon we should keep most of this team together for the next year. Bring in Swann, and I think we've got potential.