Trevor Barsby disturbed over Hopes’ omission
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 starting next week. Yesterday Australia announced its 15-man squad for the limited-over
series against visiting Lankans but surprisingly there was no place for James Hopes.
Hopes has not missed any of Australia's last 15 One Day Internationals. However, his absence this time would be covered by him representing the Bulls in the domestic circuit.
2010 season has so far been quite successful for Hopes; he has claimed the Man-of-the-Match twice since February 2010, having never won the award in his first 71 one-day appearances. Despite of his remarkable performance this year,
Hopes has reportedly been reminded by the selectors that squad flying to the subcontinent earlier next year would include only two all-rounders - Steven Smith and Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326.
"I'm not sure what is going on," said Barsby while talking to media. "I hope this decision just means they wanted to give James some [domestic] cricket after the Indian series.”
The Bulls’ coach said that it would be disappointing if selectors discarded him from the World Cup squad as Hopes has done everything he was asked to do for the Australian side, whether it was opening the batting or bowling, batting
at No. 6 or 7 or bowling the death overs.
"It's not the sort of treatment you expect of a player who does whatever job was asked of him, and does it by executing his skill to the very best of his ability.”
Barsby said that the all-rounder would not even complain about all this as that is not his way. The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Queensland-c834 coach further added that Hopes just gets on with things and puts his team first. Barsby hailed him as one of the best players
in the incumbent http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 side in the ODI and T20 arena and was confident that the selectors would soon continue to acknowledge that.
James Hopes made his ODI debut in 2005 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 and has played 84 ODIs since then compiling 1326 runs at an average of 25.01 and also picked up 67 one-day wickets at 35.58. Despite of his promising figures, unfortunately,
Hopes is often the first man left behind if the Australian selectors want to play a different balance. For Hopes, who turned 32 just two days ago, next year’s World Cup would probably be his final chance to play in the prestigious event after he was left behind
in 2007.
Tags: