Look I can accept the desire to hold Hughes back. Don't agree with it, but can see the logic.
But that doesn't follow that Marsh should in anyway be near the Test team. If it were a case of playing a guy who might do well, but no big loss if he doesn't then Marcus North has done all that could be expected to volunteer for the post. Even White as another of the generation that much was expected of but delivered little has more than earnt a look before Sos.
ODI's and T20s, for sure. Has the game and has proven it at domestic level. Earned a spot. No problem at all with Marsh playing pyjama stuff, along with many others suited to shorter forms.
But Tests, no way the **** should have ever been selected, ever. The argument that this is as good a time to select him as any is based on the false premise that there could ever be a good time to select him. There isn't. It is a simple matter of equity and the unintended negative consequences of inequity. When guys who have year after year outperformed a hack like Marsh can't get a look in that has a detrimental effect on the entire Shield. Players will focus on what they see the selectors rewarding. If the selectors reward the accumulation of large amounts of runs in the toughest circumstances then that is what all the good young bats will know that is what they'll need to bust their arses to achieve. But if they see all you need to get noticed and indeed selected is some handsome shots and runs against a white ball then very few of them will bother with the hard work and will look for the short cuts. And who the **** could blame them? We all want to make it easy on ourselves if we can. People have mentioned Mad Dog. What message has this sent a player like him. It certainly isn't "son your 40 average and big shots ain't near enough, you have to knuckle down and stop throwing your wicket away for pretty 30s". Quite the opposite in fact. The message for him from this decision (and the earlier Bailey selection) is quite clearly force your way into the ODI team and you're 90% there, Shield runs don't matter a pinch of ****. That is a cancerous attitude and could easily infect our first class ranks (if it hasn't already).
That's why I'll always plump for the guys for have records that command respect over someone's objective opinion of how they look. When weight of fc runs/wickets gets you in/out of Test contention then everyone knows where they stand and everyone will try to improve their games in ways that will have the most chance of letting them succeed at the highest level. It's not a call for the 6 bats with the best Shield averages to be picked, but it automatically and rightly excludes long term underachievers like Marsh from ever being considered.
Hughes has earned by weight of runs the right to an extended and indeed multiple goes before pretty much anyone else. If someone in the Shield wants to change that then its simple for them - score more ****ing runs. When the guy who dominates the Shield can't get selected infront of a short form show pony who averages 12.8 batting in the top 4 this season and 25 overall since he was dropped after the 2nd worst series for a top order bat in Test history, then all Shield runs are devalued. How soon will it be until Finch is selected? It's a joke and it can't have good long term consequences.
