Aussie Rookies Have The IPL To Thank
Marsh - Smashing IPL.
Julia Harris looks at how Australian youngsters such as Shaun Marsh faired in the IPL, and susses out their prospects for the future.
Shaun Marsh : 11 matches, 11 innings, 616 runs @ 68.44, SR: 139.68
Marsh surely rates as the find of the IPL. The 24-year-old Western Australian only got his chance in the Kings XI Punjab team once Simon Katich had departed for the West Indies, and wasted no time in showing that he should have been there all along.
An elegant left-hander, Marsh prefers to play more classical shots than many of his Twenty20 counterparts, and this method proved fruitful, as he topped the run-scoring charts at the end of the competition, amassing 616 runs. He outshone his more fancied team-mates, including the much-lauded Yuvraj Singh, on his way to demolishing any bowling attack that was unfortunate enough to cross paths with him.
His selection for the Australian One-Day International squad for the West Indies tour indicates that he is certainly in the Australian selectors plans for the future, and the experience he has gained by playing and excelling in the IPL will further enhance his prospects.
Brett Geeves : 2 matches, 8 overs, 1 wkt @ 91.00, Econ: 11.38.
Whilst Geeves may not have set the inaugural IPL on fire with his performances, in part due to only getting on the field twice, one cannot under estimate the positive effect that his participation could have on his career.
Since breaking onto the scene in 2004, Geeves' career has stuttered due to injury and consequent loss of form. But in the past domestic season he has at last showed signs that he may fulfill the promise he showed as a youngster.
As a member of the Delhi Daredevils squad, Geeves played alongside the legend that is Glen McGrath. It is hard to imagine that there could be anyone better to learn from than the great fast bowler. Under McGrath's watchful eye, Geeves was able to study the finer points of the art of fast bowling, things he wouldn't have experienced plugging away in the Australian domestic competition. It's that kind of the experience you can't put a price on.
Dominic Thornely : 6 matches, 7 overs, 3 wkts @ 13.31, Econ: 5.71; 4 innings, 39 runs @ 19.50, SR: 73.58.
As in the case of Geeves, the benefits Thornely derived from the IPL came more in the form of experience and exposure rather than success.
Thornely finished the competition with a batting average that was fractionally under 20, and an impressive bowling average of 13.33. Whilst only playing in six games, Thornely played in the same team as ginger-haired look-alike Shaun Pollock, and as an all-rounder there are few better to learn from then the South African icon.
Given the stellar quality of the players Thornely has been exposed to, the Aussie has an opportunity to use the experience to elevate his career to the next level.
Luke Pomersbach : 5 matches, 5 innings, 152 runs @ 152, SR: 153.54
Pomersbach's Kings XI team-mate and Sri Lankan stalwart Kumar Sangakkara was full of praise for the young Aussie, stating that he would definitely don the much sort after baggie green for Australia in the future. With Pomersbach's strong hitting and big match temperament, it is easy to see why Sangakkara would be so full of praise.
A powerful left-hander who is able to dominate against any bowler, Pomersbach like many other youngsters, only got his first opportunity in the latter stages of the IPL after the internationals had left, and due to only being dismissed on one of the five occasions he made it to the crease, finished with an astounding average of 152!
Pomersbach himself has mentioned the IPL could aid players in getting the attention of national selectors and enhance their international credentials; he is right. If he carries on in his current vain, Pomersbach will surely be getting his international chance sooner rather than later.
Luke Ronchi : 4 matches, 4 innings, 13 runs @ 8.4, SR: 106.25
Adam Gilchrist's retirement from international cricket will undoubtedly leave a massive whole in the Australian set-up, and with Gilly dominating the wicketkeeping berth for so long, it means that there is now an opportunity for someone else to step into the limelight. Whilst Brad Haddin has been Gilchrist's deputy for some time now, he is going to find himself in for a tough time retaining the position with Ronchi eyeing the position.
Ronchi's promise is illustrated best by the fact that the Mumbai Indians rushed to sign him up for three years, despite the youngster being untested. Ronchi will be disappointed with the limited success he achieved in his four outings in this year's IPL, but the future seems bright for the 27-year-old Western Australian.
David Hussey : 13 matches, 13 overs, 2 wkts @ 65.00, Econ: 10.00; 13 innings, 318 runs @ 28.91, SR: 122.78.
It took Hussey's older brother Michael nearly 11 years of good form in domestic cricket to get his much deserved international call-up, and whilst David too has had to excel domestically and in county cricket for many years before any kind of international recognition, one can be sure that his opportunity is soon to arrive.
Hussey was the second highest run-scorer in a largely disappointing Kolkata Knight Riders team contributing 318 runs, but despite his team's failure to perform after an impressive start, Hussey played some key innings that underlined his class.
Hussey's only international experience came in a recent Twenty20 international, but he has been selected for Australia's upcoming ODIs against the West Indies. Hussey's aggressive batting style has lead to suggestions that he may be a Twenty20 specialist, which is perhaps why Kolkata paid a price above that coughed up for many more seasoned stars to acquire his services in the IPL. But there is no doubting Hussey's class, and a more refined view of the player suggests that Hussey is destined to achieve in all forms of the game.
Julia Harris