Case study: Simon O'Donnell

The summer of 1984-85 was a turbulent one for Australian cricket fans - Kim Hughes resigning in tears, defections to South Africa, massacre at the hands of the West Indies - but by the end of it there were signs for optimism.

Australia won the 5th test in Sydney off the back of some exciting spin bowling from Bob Holland and Murray Bennett, who gave Australia's attack some much needed variety. Craig McDermott was a new pace find, Kepler Wessells and Alan Border had rediscovered their form with the bat. True, Australia's pace stocks had been decimated by the South African rebel tours (we lost Terry Alderman, Rodney Hogg, Carl Rackemann, John McGuire and Rod MccCurdy) but we still had Geoff Lawson and McDermott, plus Holland, Bennett and Greg Matthews.

We also had Simon O'Donnell.

Simon O'Donnell was a young good looking Victorian all rounder who had scored a century and taken four wickets in his Shield debut in 83-84. He had a decent summer in 84-85, scoring a century and averaging over 50 with the bat although over 40 with the ball. Still he clearly had promise and was picked in Australia's one day team where he did well, taking some wickets and scoring some runs (playing some spectacular late innings knocks in losing causes) - becoming a good solid one day international all rounder.

Australia's selectors though thought he could be the next Keith Miller and he was picked on the 85 Ashes tour. I guess that was understandable - he was young and exciting, and Australia needed to rebuild, and there was another all rounder on board in the form of Greg Matthews.

Anyway O'Donnell played in all Australia's one day games on tour, where he did his nice bowling and useful batting, without excelling in either.

His bowling figures on the first class tour matches in England were 1-25 and 1-27, 0-77, and 0-17.  But in that second game he scored a century, which impressed the selectors. He's a bowler and he scores centuries!

So he was picked in the first test as a bowler. He wasn't in bowling form but he was in batting form so they picked him as a bowler, shut their eyes and hoped he could bowl and contribute with the bat. The other three specialists were McDermott, Lawson and Jeff Thomson. Bob Holland, who won Australia their last test, was dropped.

O'Donnell actually bowled okay in that first test, picking up four wickets, but Australia still lost - a test they mightn't have lost had they picked a Holland over O'Donnell.

But because O'Donnell was an all rounder and nothing is ever their fault he was kept on in the team for the next four tests. In the second test O'Donnell took 1-82 but hit a useful six during a nervy run chase; Australia won off the back of bowling from Holland and McDermott.

Against Essex O'Donnell took no wickets, so naturally was kept on for the third test as the third paceman where he took  1-104 and 0-26 but did score 46 runs.  In the fourth test he was teamed with another all rounder, Matthews, and took 0-82 but scored another 40 plus score. In the 5th test he took 0-69. He was eventually dropped.

He made his way back into the test team against New Zealand, where he took no wickets in a spin dominated game.

O'Donnell had been found out, like all bits and pieces players - like Henriques was in India.

He never should have been picked at all in the test team - he was selected as a bowler because of his batting. Even when it was patently obvious his bowling wasn't up to test standard they kept picking him.

Australia were going to struggle in England in 85 because they lacked a third back up bowler to McDermott and Lawson - Thommo was too old and Gilbert too young. In hindsight they probably should have played two spinners for the games. Even without hindsight they should have played Holland every game. (I also think Wayne Phillips should have been a batsman not a keeper but that's another issue. Also Border was an inexperienced captain at this stage - he had two excellent part time bowlers at his disposal in the form of himself and Wessels that he hardly ever used.).

But such was the lure of an all rounder they went Mr Bits and Pieces, and were slaughtered.
 
O'Donnell went on to have a fine career - an integral part of Australia's one day side when they mastered that form, a skilled leader who took Victoria to a Sheffield Shield win, and a cancer survivor. It doesn't change the fact that his test selection was the biggest preventable factor in our losing the Ashes in 1985.