JIMMY Maher would love to see the same nursery of batsmen Australia seems blessed with for bowlers at the moment.
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The former Australian and Queensland keeper-batsman is in the region coaching with the Shaun Brown’s Coaching Clinics.
He was in Armidale yesterday after attending the Tamworth camp on Monday.
Asked about the state of the game in Australia, he said it was improving.
“It’s certainly got a way to go,” he said.
“We still need to create players who are scoring 1000-run summers and really putting pressure on the players in the Australian side.
“You look back through the history and, when Sheffield Shield cricket is strong, Australian cricket is strong.”
It stems right down to club cricket. It’s got to be hard to get from third grade to second grade and you’ve got to be performing to keep your spot.
That kind of environment and competition is what fosters strong players.
“Our bowling stocks are really good at the moment,” Maher said.
“We’ve got eight-10 options who are genuine Test match bowling options and another three or four who are not that far from graduating to that level.”
The batting stocks admittedly aren’t as flush.
“That’s where we need to get batsmen scoring runs in Shield cricket and not allow the Test players the luxury of knowing they’re not going to drop him,” he said.
The talent is out there.
“I’m a big fan of Chris Lynn. He’s a talented kid,” Maher said.
He still has some improving to go but is on the right path.
Nic Maddison is another who has shown a lot of promise.
“Callum Ferguson, I don’t think he’s quite finished yet,” he said.
“And I like the look of Travis Head from South Australia.”
Then there’s Boxing Day debutant Joe Burns.
“He did really well,” Maher said.
“It’s good credit to him.
“He’s worked pretty hard the last couple of summers to get the opportunity to play for Australia.”
“I think he’ll carve out a nice career on the evidence of his two Tests against India.”
As for keepers, Western Australia’s Sam Whiteman and NSW’s Phil Nevill are two who sprung to his mind, but all the Shield keepers are first class, he said.
Maher is also jumping behind Australia to claim a first-ever home World Cup.
“I think we’ve got to be the favourites,” he said.
“The hard thing about Australia is the expectation with the public.
“The good thing is they know the conditions well and will go in with a bit of confidence from the Test series.
“I think they’ve picked a very good squad.”
Like many pundits, he is predicting New Zealand as a bit of a smokey.
They’ve been in good form and play a lot of their games at home where they know the conditions.
South Africa too looms as a big threat.
“South Africa play so well here,” he said.
“It’s similar to their conditions.”
Former Test bowler and camp coach Nathan Bracken with participants (clockwise from seated front) Jake Boney (Armidale), Harrison Cooke (Glen Innes), Tom Whitely (Armidale), Brandon Scott (Armidale), Connor Miller (Armidale), Meyrick Griffiths (Rocky River), Oliver Ledingham (Warialda), Toby Endacott (Yarrowitch), Rohan Guest (Wallangra), William Jackson (Armidale) (seated next to Bracken) at the Armidale camp on Monday. Photo: www.pixonline.com.au
