Cricketing Thoughts - Michael Beer

The Curious Case of Michael Beer

Spin bowling around the world and, specifically, in Australia was changed forever when a blonde haired and sunscreen covered Shane Keith Warne stepped on to the cricketing scene back in 1992. Spinners, back then seen as a dying breed were suddenly catapulted back into the limelight and seen as a major match winning force to be reckoned with. The cricketing world was better for it and when Warne retired in 2007 after spinning out 1001 wickets around the world Australia hoped, nay prayed that another spinner would step up.

In the three years since Warne’s retirement, Australia has trialed 10 spinners at the highest level namely Xavier Doherty, Cameron White, Bryce McGain, Beau Casson and Jason Krejza.  Among the five of them, they have played 10 tests before being discarded and thrown back into the wilderness of state cricket. Nathan Hauritz has been the only slow bowler to be trialed extensively. Hauritz has played in 16 tests since his sudden recall against the Black Caps in 2008 taking 58 wickets at an average nudging 35 with 2 five wicket hauls and generally consistent offspin bowling however, even he has been thrown into the ‘used spinners’ pile.

The Australian spin cycle is quite brutal and has claimed victims at an alarming rate. The desperation for a spinner within the Australian ranks is now fairly evident with 26 year old West Australian left arm orthodox spinner Michael Beer being picked from obscurity to join the 12 man squad for a possible debut in the 3^rd Test of the Ashes at the WACA. Beer is in line to become Australia’s 418^th test cricketer as the stumped Australian selectors look for any way to blunt the run machine that is the England batting line up.

Beer, who replaces two-game-old Xavier Doherty in the squad, has been picked for his “impressive performances this year at domestic level. He took wickets against England in the tour match earlier this summer and we expect he will bowl very well against the English on his home ground”. These were the words of the chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch. This surprising selection however seemingly overlooks the fact that Beer has as much of a home ground advantage at the WACA as Shane Warne did bowling in India. Last summer, Beer was playing club cricket for St. Kilda down in Melbourne while struggling to break into the Victorian State Team and even played a few games with the master, Shane Warne a few seasons back. It seems that the only reason he has made the huge step up from club cricket to the international stage is due to a vote of confidence Warne gave him when throwing his name around in a newspaper article written last week.

The criticism of Beer’s shock selection is flowing in from all over the land, with former Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill joining the chorus of voices demanding a legitimate reason for his selection. "I am gobsmacked, shocked, I honestly cannot believe it," MacGill told Sydney's Daily Telegraph. "The team will have to change again after the next Test. Good on Michael Beer, good bloke and good player, but look at this as a job interview and show me his qualifications to get this job. He doesn't have any. He is not qualified for the job they have given him. Sending him out there next week, what are they trying to do?" Jumping on Andrew Hilditch’s poorly made comments of a ‘home ground advantage’ MacGill questioned whether Hilditch was actually aware of who Beer was as well as criticising Nathan Hauritz’s wrongful omission from the squad. "Xavier Doherty was [an odd inclusion] too, to be honest. They are clearly telling Nathan Hauritz, 'you are never playing Test cricket again'. I don't understand that. Xavier Doherty should never have played the first two Tests. Michael Beer shouldn't be playing this one." A disillusioned Hauritz is reportedly selling his cricket gear on eBay and who can blame him? After a consistent run that brought 63 test wickets, he has been discarded in an increasingly prominent trend of Australian selections.

Beer himself cannot hide his shock towards his selection and pluck from obscurity. Many have likened it to the surprise selection of one Peter Taylor to make his debut at the SCG during the Ashes Series of 1986/87. Taylor went on to make 46 and take 6 wickets on debut to take Australia to victory; whether Beer will have such an impact is yet to be seen.  Michael Beer is yet to meet his captain for the first time, yet to take more than 3 wickets in an innings and bowl more than 200 overs in his entire career. The impact he has on the test is hard to predict. Will he cut a swathe through the England juggernaut or simply take a pasting from the in-form Cook, Trott and Pietersen? To Beer or not to Beer. That is the question all of Australia wants answered.

Sanjeet Ajgaonkar.