The scouting system for Test cricket needs a revamp in order to improve the production line for the national team, writes Khalid Mohidin.
Fans often get into heated debates with each other when it comes to selection. Often, numbers are the major criteria when determining who is good enough to play at international level. But how deeply do we dive when scanning the statistics?
I don’t expect a cricket fan to have seen every innings that every player has played at a domestic level, or to have witnessed the manner of every dismissal. But what I do know is that when someone plays Test cricket, it doesn’t matter what their average is for their domestic side, their shortcomings will be exposed in the Test arena. Particularly when it comes to batters.
The main reason for this is the quality of bowlers that they are facing. In a Test side, every bowler is of a high standard, in some cases even world-class. If you are opening against an international side, you know that pressure will be applied from both ends, leaving minuscule room for error. Technical flaws against the moving new ball at 140 km/h-plus from both ends, with consistency and accuracy, is not something replicated in domestic cricket, particularly in South Africa.
It’s a lot easier to find bowlers to target for easy scoring options on a flat deck in South Africa than it is against Australia or England away. Even if these bowlers come to SA, no batter would have witnessed the level of quality on our local pitches unless they play for the Proteas.
Even though we can agree that a Test team’s bowling unit is far more superior to our local teams, batters are still going out domestically, and on a daily basis are showing weaknesses or technical flaws, even when they go on to score big runs.
But is there anyone that takes note of this?
We can’t be looking at numbers alone. We need scouts who can identify technical flaws before a player plays their first Test match. I think there are enough cricketing minds in this country to predetermine issues batters could have when they walk out in Test whites for the first time, or even before their first net session with the national side.
An independent scout could travel to games and watch these players in action, watch how they were dismissed and also assess which balls they punished and which ones they had trouble reading. They can also add context to the good knocks or bad ones, which could uncover a lot about a player’s mentality and their character.
A suggestion would be to put a scouting network in place that can identify technical flaws in young prospects, years before they make their debut for their country. If talent is identified, there should be a thorough report done over a couple of seasons, to help selectors pick players on more than just the statistics which hold no context.
Stats don’t tell the full story. It doesn’t say that Player Z edged to the slips and was dropped 3 times. Or he edged the ball between 1st and second slip a record number of times when facing the side’s premium fast bowler, but still managed to score runs frequently when facing the slow-medium pacer who struggled with his rhythm or accuracy all day.
If a scout’s only job is to add context to statistics, it will go a long way in the development of Test players in this country as well as team selection during transitional phases.
It’s just a thought I’d like to leave you all with…
