Matthew Hayden Raises Concern Over McSweeney’s Selection Ahead Of BGT

November 16, 2024: Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has expressed his frustration over the selectors’ decision to pick Nathan McSweeney, a non-specialist opener, for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against India. Hayden, who is known for his forthright opinions, believes that the selectors “backed themselves into a corner” by opting for McSweeney, a player who typically bats at number three, rather than sticking with more established opening candidates.

Australia’s opening conundrum arose after David Warner’s retirement from Test cricket in January, leaving a gap at the top of the order. Steven Smith was temporarily promoted to open in Warner’s place, but his brief stint at the top of the order proved largely unsuccessful. Smith scored just 171 runs at an average of 28.50, a performance Hayden describes as forgettable.

“I disagreed with Steve Smith opening the batting. It wasn’t a slight on Steve Smith’s career. It was more of a plea and call to action around the [domestic] system itself,” Hayden said, speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald. Hayden believes the Australian system should have better prepared players to step up for such a crucial role.

With Smith returning to the middle order, the selectors were left with several options for Warner’s replacement, including Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Sam Konastas. However, they chose McSweeney, a young player who typically bats at number three, to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order for the BGT opener in Perth.

The selection decision came amidst a backdrop of limited first-class cricket in Australia, as the team had been heavily focused on limited-overs formats during the early part of 2024. According to Hayden, the lack of first-class matches, coupled with only two unofficial Tests between India A and Australia A, contributed to the selectors’ predicament.

“Now the Australian selectors have done exactly what I thought was going to happen, and that was back themselves into a corner, knowing that you had T20s and one-dayers right through the early part of 2024 and zero Test match cricket,” Hayden remarked.

McSweeney had a chance to prove himself during the build-up to the BGT series when he was asked to open the batting for Australia A in two unofficial Tests against India A. In his first match, McSweeney made an unbeaten 88 in his usual number three spot. However, when promoted to open in the second unofficial Test, he struggled, posting scores of just 14 and 25 in the two innings.

“There has been very little first-class cricket and two Australia A games where they chopped and changed the opening batters,” Hayden observed. “There wasn’t one [sizeable] opening partnership. Can you imagine how Marcus Harris is feeling right now? He’s carried the drinks forever and been the incumbent opening batsman, and Bancroft is the same.”

The lack of consistency in the selection process and the failure to allow players to build partnerships has led Hayden to question the selectors’ approach. He believes that in an ideal world, the selectors would have given more time for players to accumulate runs in first-class cricket before making such a crucial call.

As the series against India looms, the spotlight will be on McSweeney to perform in one of the most challenging Test series in world cricket. While Hayden is critical of the selection process, he remains hopeful that McSweeney will make the most of his opportunity. “It’s fantastic that Nathan gets his opportunity, and God I hope he bangs down the door at Test match level,” Hayden said.

The decision to pick McSweeney is a bold one, but with the uncertainty surrounding Australia’s opening pair, Hayden’s hopes are that the young batsman rises to the occasion and proves the selectors right. It’s a critical moment for McSweeney, and the weight of the opening role against a dominant Indian team will certainly test his mettle.