Cricinfo - Blogs - Different Strokes - Messing with Shaun Tait

Surely the selectors must have known their own minds a few weeks ago. What has happened in the last few weeks in the physiotherapy room to suddenly make them realise that he was not going to make the cut? It’s hardly like he’s played a few games of cricket, bowled poorly and cooked his own goose. Has he turned up late for his massage sessions or something? If they honestly felt that he was probably going to miss out on the next contract list, why on earth did they deny him a chance to earn his living in the IPL and find his form again? It would be upto his IPL coach to decide whether to pick him or not.

Tait can have no complaints about missing out on a contract. His stuttering performances in the ODI’s last summer were not those of a player who deserved to play for his country. Anyone who has to be nursed through a ten over stint in four spells is clearly not much use in the modern game. But he is entitled to be aggrieved about a basic lack of transparency when it comes to the selector's long-term intentions. At best, it smacks of poor planning. At worst, it’s just plain unkind.

On his day, at the top of his game (which admittedly has not been all that often!), his unusual action and blistering pace is good for the game. A breath of fresh air for a game that has precious few old-fashioned characters. The game owes him nothing except perhaps a dash of honesty. That’s all he’d ask for I’m sure.

I'm not sure what the selectors are doing really with those contracts. Brad Hodge got one and he hasn't played for a year, and they've gone out of their way to pick everyone EXCEPT Hodge - Warner, Voges, Ferguson, Marcus North, Andrew Symonds with zero form.

As for Tait, surely he is one of Australia's most potentially brilliant bowlers. But he hasn't been fit and has been passed by Peter Siddle, Mitch Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus and probably Dougie Bollinger. No more was this seen than in the T20 squad. Siddle has played 5 T20 games in his career, hasn't bowled recently, but was still preferred to Tait despite Tait's obvious appeal in T20 - short spells.

Perhaps it's a psychological move - a kick in the pants to improve his conditioning and make him hungrier.

Whatever the reasoning, I hope to see him back. The man can bowl dangerously and very rapidly. Like you I agree, he's a great guy to have in cricket.

In the first season of the IPL, Shane Watson found his form and it was due to his all round performance during the tournament that he found his way back into the Aussie squad. My personal opinion is that CA have messed up big time. The IPL give the necassary match practice due to its competitiveness, as its easier to make eye contact with a "paid" selector than a team "owner". I reckon even Smith was a more mature and confident captain after his stint under Warne and the results were there to see. Also the lack of competitive cricket will hit Australia big time at the T20 world cup as they're 'resting' top players for the Ashes. I have a good travel agent to Greece though Shaun...

The truth of the matter is that Tait lacks the determination and mental toughness necessary to play cricket at the highest level. Whining to the media when Cricket Australia wouldn't let him go to the IPL was not a good move on his part, especially doing so at the very time the list of central contracts was being drawn up! The fact that his public reaction to not getting a contract was to talk of holidays in Greece rather than expressing determination to win his contract back next time suggests to me that Cricket Australia has made the right decision.

A bowler of his extreme pace he should be persivered with.He is the type of bowler who needs work to get into the grove and with an action like that .He may not last many years so make use of him while he has this god given talent.Batsman never admit to it but anyone bowling well over 90mph is daunting and the fear factor is high.Put him back in tandem with Lee and it will be exciting again. The game is full of 80mph trundlers who get tonked senseless.Wrapping him up in cottonwool will do no good for his confidence.Let him loose.

Roger that proposition is silly. He is fit, he wanted to play, but CA stopped him. And why, if they were not offering him a central contract? Mixed messages don't you think? Either let him play and see how he goes, and it's fine then if he doesn't get a contract, or stop him and tell him he is contracted so he can't get injured again.

Tait's reaction to not getting a contract demonstrates exactly why CA was right not to give him one. He seems far more concerned about the missed opportunity to make money than the fact that his international prospects have slipped.

Tait implies that had he known he was unlikely to get a contract he would much rather play in the IPL than maximise his future chances of playing for Australia by working on his fitness. Is this the attitude the Australian team needs?

You seem to imply that he's not playing because CA decided he shouldn't.
The fact is that he is not fit to play now, and CA want to make sure he doesn't play while he isn't completely fit for fear of aggravating his injuries.

Thats what they are telling you while Tait maintains he is fit. He has been shafted by CA again and I feel sorry for the bloke. His game is built on confidence and CA haven't helped that what has he done wrong? Plus if they are worried about his injury's just sit back and tell me why Watson was picked again, his middle name is INJURY...

The IPL provides cricketers like Tait an opportunity to hone their skills and perform against Quality Opposition and Attack. Look at Ravi Bopara for Punjab and how wonderfully he's translated that form into Test Cricket scoring 3 consecutive centuries against the Windies. Look at Symmonds and how this is preparing him for the defence of the Ashes. Tait would've been an absolute heandful. He's the Impact Player from whom just one spell of 4 -5 overs can swing a match and series. Looks like CA has gift wrapped a present to the ECB.

I get the impression that the selectors were saving Tait for the World T20. They decided not to pick him because they already selected an injury risk in Brett Lee.

The thing that has changed that the author asked about, is that Lee hasn't recovered from injury as fast as the selectors thought he would.

Now, why on earth you would select a recovering Lee over a recovering Tait for T20 is beyond me. Tait is perfect for that format. His batting doesn't matter two hoots, and in 4 overs he can wreck a T20 innings more easily than Lee can. Bizarre decision to leave him out.

shaun tait should not play for aussie as he is unfit and in the end selectors need to be.maybe they could use this on a few others players.being dropped never hurt great players ie boon waugh ponting should i go on.stop whingeing play some decent cricket tait and you might get selected.

Cricket Australia dangled the carrot in front of Tait and hit him with the stick!

I think they knew exactly what they were doing to Tait, I think that he will retire from international cricket and become an IPL specialist if there is no intervention e.g. from a selector/coach.

Tait much like Harminson, is a modern fast bowler. He needs to be looked after, mentally massaged, given constant attention. If he is looked after he is a very dangerous, pacy strike bowler. If he is left alone to fend for himself then he gets disheartened and his motivation drops.

Maybe the author is right and Tait is a luxury of a bygone era, however for me the real question is that whether Tait is in the top 5 pacemen in Australia ........ on current form is no, based on potential, yes! Johnson and Siddle are 1 and 2, Lee and Clark are 3 and 4 .... the battle for #5 is between Tait, Bollinger and Hilfenhaus. If the top 4 listed are all fit then Tait is that #5!

I hope Tait stays and fights for his place.

I'm Indian and I'm sure Tait would ahve been a huge draw in the IPL. It's perfet for his type of bowling. As we've seen one over or one player can change a match. Even if he fires only 25% of the time he's worth the price tag because as we see in IPL2 7 out of 8 teams are all very competitive!

The truth is, if Shaun tait got a contract it would have been on reputation alone. he hasn't done anything lately to warrant one and is still not living up to his potential. I am a big fan but he is too erratic. When on his game he is an unplayable wicket taking machine, but if everything is not going right he is a bowler who leaks runs and extras. Instead of talking about tait, we should be discussing why on earth Brad HOdge keeps getting looked over.

Technically, CA was keeping their options open for the T20 WC, and he was under contract until after that. Legally, they had the right.

Morally repugnant to rest a guy for a WC they then didn't pick him for. They would never have picked him without proven match fitness, and had no opps to prove it - therefore they were never planning on picking him. If he broke down in IPL, so what? They didn't pick him anyhow.

I had more chance of a central contract than Tait did. Now he's a low profile state player (at best) next time IPL goes around - his market value is $0.

CA's actions were so despicable that I have to assume they were deliberately knifing him. Way to accelerate retirements - be seen as a greedy, heartless employer by the ACA.

As for the people who said Tait didn't deserve a contract for his attitude - have a look at the recent quotes from the WI captain. It doesn't seem to be a barrier to his employment.

As much as i hate to admit(im a massive SA fan) Tait is a fantastic and exciting bowler. He can blast teams off the pitch in the space of 2 overs how much more reason do you need? CA have been making the most absurd calls since their almost invincible team of yesteryear has broken down through retirement. CA need to back the talent they have..otherwise Aussie too might see supertalented players play for other countries. (KP anyone?)