Aus selectors temporarily vindicated

In an ideal team, no individual is irreplaceable. A consistently successful side needs have a system in place that ensures the continued prosperity of the unit regardless of its individual members. To excel over a long period of time requires a quality system, not necessarily an overflowing supply of quality individual players. The Australian cricket team, it appears, has such a system.

When Mark and Steve Waugh were sacked from the one-day team as the selectors looked to the future, Australia lost a combined 569 games of ODI experience (not to mention more than 250 Tests), its highest two all-time leading run scorers, and an acclaimed, World Cup-winning captain. It was difficult to imagine this not having some adverse affect on performances at least in the short term, as some immediate difficulties were expected to be endured before the long-term rewards were (hopefully) eventually reaped.

However, the seamless transition to life after the Waughs in the one-day series in South Africa has highlighted that the present strong Australian team structure does not rely on individuals, however great. No player has said it publicly out of respect to their Test leader and what he has achieved, but from all appearances Australia have not missed Steve or Mark Waugh in the slightest.

So does this mean the Australian selectors were right, that Waugh's captaincy was not that critical and he really was expendable? Not necessarily. Actually, the fact Waugh has not been missed partly serves to underline the successful legacy he has left.

While the immediate success of the team post-"Tugga" could indicate his presence as both captain and batsman was over-estimated, it indicates equally as much his enormous value. What kind of captain would Waugh have been if his legacy to the team was for it to flounder in his absence? That Australia have not missed him in its first series without him is actually a credit to his leadership, not an indictment of it.

Unlike a dictator, which is how some have wrongly interpreted Waugh's captaincy style, a great captain should be replaceable. Ideally, he should have developed a culture that makes the progression of his successor comfortable, able to smoothly continue a successful formula while contributing his own individual style and ideas to the role. If Australia could not survive without Waugh, then he really would not have done his job properly.

In the short term, the selectors' decision to axe Mark and Steve Waugh has been proven correct by Australia's 5-1 ODI series victory against South Africa. Ponting has impressed and Hayden is gradually growing into his role as limited-overs opener. However, it should be remembered their decision to sack Waugh was not one made with the immediate future in mind but rather the long term, including the World Cup, so it cannot yet be judged as a judicious move.

The early signs are most definitely encouraging, as the one-day performances surpassed all expectations, but nothing more definitive than that. How will Ricky Ponting respond to a bad loss? How will his team perform when forced to come from behind in a series? Can Maher, Watson or Hauritz stand the pressure that only the World Cup or perhaps the elimination stages of the Champions Trophy can bring? That is still to be discovered.

The selectors, though, have been temporarily vindicated. Australia won by excelling in one facet of the game in each match, whereas South Africa failed to merge a complete performance until the last game. The psychological factor is one that could be argued endlessly, but it's difficult to read just how much the Proteas were disturbed by the repeated defeats. Outwardly, they showed a remarkable lack of concern at both the margin and nature of the losses, in both Tests and ODIs. There should be no correlation between Test and ODI performances, but after being unable to defeat Australia in the first three one-day games, the continued losses against the same team must have taken its toll.

In terms of performance, Australia were also proven a class above in the ODIs, as South Africa were broken both by the pressure applied to them and their own deficiencies. Australia won 8 of 12 ODIs against South Africa this season, and for the series in RSA were without Bevan for three of the first four games and Warne for all of the first four. Just how much of the disparity was due to South Africa having regressed or simply Australia's higher standard won't be known until they meet another team, but it's more than likely the Proteas' winning ways will resume once they don't have to face the Aussies.

In the first two games, South Africa's bowlers restricted Australia's batsmen to moderate totals but their top order failed abysmally, while in following five the batsmen flourished while the bowlers were often hammered. Conversely, Australia began the series in potent form with the ball and had some difficulties with the bat, before the batting fired spectacularly while the bowlers and fielders struggled. Throughout, they were better than South Africa in one facet of the game.

The improvement in Australia's batting was made in significant part by 'new' players Lehmann, Hayden and Maher, the former two the direct replacements for Steve and Mark Waugh respectively. Ponting was effusive in his praise of Lehmann, who despite only recently returning to the team is a vastly experienced batsman, one of the most innovative one-day batsmen around and ideally suited to the middle order. If anything, Lehmann has occasionally been too inventive for his own good, but his confident flicks, nudges and glides into the gaps saw attain a series strike rate of 91 and gave the middle order impetus.

In addition to his batting, Lehmann's innocuous but effective left-arm tweakers proved an asset for a team without a genuine bowling all-rounder, as he covered for bowlers who became expensive as well as being useful in his own right. As one of the leadership group, Ponting went to Lehmann for advice and one suspects Lehmann's relaxed, self-deprecating approach to his cricket has also been beneficial to team spirit.

Hayden appeared to adopt a more traditional opener's role in one-day cricket. Less free-scoring than Mark Waugh, he was also more consistent, anchoring the innings on three occasions without converting his starts to hundreds. When required, he did score quickly, as his 35 off 29 balls in the record chase shows, and his partnership with Gilchrist appeared complementary.

Maher made an outstanding return to international cricket, winning consecutive MoM awards as a No. 3 and then at No. 6 for batting Australia to a comeback tie in game three. After 152 runs in three innings for once out, he was replaced by Bevan for game six, who was not even required until Australia were 312/5 after 46 overs. Like Martyn a few years ago, Maher appears a fine batsman to have in reserve. Bevan, Australia's premiere ODI batsman, was hardly a factor in the series.

Australia's bowlers initially dominated the first two games, a fiery Gillespie helping Australia defend totals of 223 and 226 with seven wickets. The return to form of Lance Klusener was the only redeeming feature of South Africa's batting as the likes of Gibbs, Kirsten and Kallis withered.

South Africa lost at least two early wickets in each of the first four games but the tie in the third game marked an improvement in batting which continued throughout the series as Jonty Rhodes emerged as South Africa's best ODI batsman. His scores of 83, 56, 76, 71* and 39* through games three to seven, all at better than a run a ball, injected life into each innings, shaking off the earlier Australian containment with his improvisation and hustle between the wickets. Kallis and McKenzie provided decent support and Smith showed considerable promise after debuting in game four, but it did not change the course of the series as the home side's bowlers lost control.

Ntini was easily South Africa's best bowler, the aberration of 1/83 in game six notwithstanding, but he enjoyed little support. Even Shaun Pollock, whose first spells remained generally economical, took just 9 wickets at an economy rate of five per over.

After Maher and Hauritz elevated the tourists to a tie in game three, the batsmen took over, Ponting setting up a 3-0 lead with a majestic hundred in game four, Gilchrist finally firing with a hundred in the next, sharing a 170-run opening stand with Hayden as Australia easily chased down South Africa's 267, before the awesome yet ridiculously easy world record chase in game six.

By that point, it seemed as if Australia almost enjoyed making it hard for themselves, requiring a challenge to be inspired to new heights. Gilchrist helped bludgeon 70 off the first 7 overs before a masterful, calculated partnership of 183 between Ponting and Lehmann gave Australia control. It was effectively over by the 35th over. Bevan, typically the catalyst behind such a chase, was not seriously required. Afterwards, Ponting showed he was more prepared to be publicly critical of his bowlers than Waugh, saying "a few of the bowlers will be embarrassed by what happened to them." Presumably the same will apply to the batsmen after game seven, when a revamped batting order and South Africa's greater determination saw the Proteas record a consolation victory.

While the batting order is settled, Australia are yet to find a reliable all-rounder, with Harvey failing to progress and rookie Watson, more batsman than bowler but scratchy in limited opportunties, still finding his feet. On the bowling front, Lee remains explosive but is yet to master economy at his pace, taking 9 wickets at 22 but conceding 5.82 per over.

South Africa's selection difficulties grew, particularly with regard to their bowling attack. Beyond Pollock and Ntini, viable seam bowlers are still competing for places, with Donald apparently on the outer, Hayward returning from injury, Telemachus incisive but slightly expensive, and Kallis increasingly ineffective. The series also saw stalwart Kirsten replaced - at least temporarily - by Smith and Dippenaar dropped in favour of McKenzie, until both were selected in the last game.

Whatever South Africa did, Australia for the most part had a superior answer to it. After the hiccup in the home tri-series, the commanding performance against the World Cup hosts on their home ground has the World Cup preparation of Ponting's Australians fully on track. Steve Waugh should be proud.

More Columns

Mail Daniel Laidlaw