Selectors’ hesitance to take hard calls has made Australia vulnerable: Fleming

SYDNEY - Former Australian fast bowler Damien Fleming has said that the reluctance of national selectors to take a tough stance following the 2009 Ashes series defeat in England has made the team “vulnerable”.

Fleming said that players who had failed in the series, including Mike Hussey, should have been dropped to strengthen the team.

“We lost the Ashes in 2009, no-one got dropped, nothing there, I could’ve lived with Mike Hussey being dropped there, you talk about that succession plan,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Fleming, as saying.

“From that Ashes defeat it was a chance to get some young players in with leadership potential so when Ricky Ponting does move on or gets tapped on the shoulder, we have actual options.”

“We’ve got ourselves into a position where there’s no options besides Michael Clarke, and we’re in a very vulnerable position with batsmen at five and six,” he added.

Fleming further insisted that the team management should have invested more time in molding all-rounder Steve Smith for the forthcoming series.

“I would’ve either in England or in India got Steve Smith to bat seven and Haddin six and get games into him. With the eye to get him ready to play Tests against England, because they don’t play wrist spin very well and you’ve got Marcus North as well to bowl spin,” Fleming said.

“I reckon the team they picked for that first Test in India was the team they wanted for the Ashes, and what’s hurt them is the form of certain players,” he added. (ANI)