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Martyn's Test career may be resurrected

Source: The Courier Mail - November 4, 2005

Martyn appeared dead and buried as a Test cricketer when he was dropped after the Ashes series.

But it has now become apparent Australia's current middle order of Michael Clarke and Simon Katich are, at this stage of their careers, inferior to what he was and may still be.

Shane Watson also needs a score - and his lack of runs is putting pressure on the others - but he is seen as a project player who will be given a long run.

Clarke is safer than Katich, but neither would be unlucky to be dropped. Martyn was axed with a Test average of just under 48. Clarke is surviving with an average of 37.61 and Katich's is 36.

Martyn averaged 40 or more in nine of his last 10 series - an exceptional effort.

Australia can afford to carry two of Watson, Clarke or Katich while it is struggling for runs - but if all three fail, a change will be contemplated for next month's heavyweight three-Test series against South Africa, or sooner.

The selectors were only 80 per cent happy with their decision when they dropped Martyn.

The remaining 20 per cent rested on other players justifying the decision by shining in his absence - which hasn't happened. The selectors were desperately hoping Katich and Clarke would fire instantly this summer, or that Brad Hodge would jump out of the blocks to be a viable alternative.

It is only early days but none of these hopes has materialised, so Martyn, whom Ricky Ponting considers his best mate in the Australia set-up, is back in the frame and will be closely scrutinised over the next few weeks.

Recalling Martyn would be a challenging decision for several reasons, the most obvious being the panel loathes moving backwards.

Martyn is a complex character who recently gave a verbal dressing down to two Perth journalists after a limited-overs match, accusing one of supporting Hodge when he should have shown more loyalty to someone from his home state.

One of the reasons for Martyn being dropped was the feeling he was an introverted character who could be cut without disturbing the fabric of the team, unlike the way the departure of everyone's favourite sounding board, Darren Lehmann, did before the Ashes tour, on which his problem-solving ability was sorely missed.

But the bottom line is that Martyn is one of the country's finest players.

Justifying the selection of inferior players to him on the grounds that they are younger is starting to wear thin because the selectors appreciate the only numbers that really matter are the ones on the board, not those on a player's birth certificate.

The selectors never wanted to consider recalling Martyn because the one thing they didn't want was to have a team of 35 and 36 year olds for next year's Ashes series.

But the panel has never been inclined to compromise the present to look after the future.

No matter how West Indies perform in the rest of this Test or the series, it can be said with some confidence they have the look of a team turning the corner.

The team may lack a decent spinner, experience and confidence, but it is well drilled by coach Bennett King and his support staff, and the players are fitter and more focused than they used to be.

- ROBERT CRADDOCK