Jamie Siddons, Dean Jones, Darren Lehmann, Matthew Elliot, Tom Moody, Martin Love, Stuart Law and Brad Hodge.

What do they all have in common? They were/are all gifted batsmen, who didn't play as many tests for Australia as their talent warranted. They also had the misfortune to not come from NSW and WA, the home states of the preferred batsmen for the Australian team.

Why? If merit is the condition of being selected in the team, why didn't they get selected more often? In the case of Siddons - a Sheffield Shield record run scorer - he never played a single test.

The answer has to be cricket politics. If you were one of the Waughs, you were feted. Steve Waugh (NSW), I seem to remember, had a low batting average after about 20 tests, but still managed to survive till the end of his career. It isn't fair that he made it but others didn't. And it certainly doesn't hurt - as a batsman at least - to come from NSW and WA.

What do others think?

“The answer has to be cricket politics”

You might be right Rob. But on the other hand, it might just be a case of there being good established players in the team which prevent others from getting much of a go.

I think it is fair and reasonable to hold on to an established player through a bit of a slump, when there are players in the wings that have better records during that period. There’s got to be some merit in keeping a core of well-known players in the team, as opposed to large-scale changes after every test or one-day series.

I don’t know. But I’m certainly not too worried about it. I’m sure the same lack of consistency or perceptions of it, regarding promotion on merit, apply across the sporting world and indeed across private enterprise and the public service.

The great Johny Martin said it is harder to get out of the team once you had got in than getting in.
Our flogging in India was a reminder we are not born to rule.
But my concern re politics is the shear power that country has over the game.
Oh and that English Gentleman journalist who has far too much to say about our team.