Dom Sibley Is Not A Test Player; I Don't Know How He Got To That Level: Mark Waugh

Former Australian opener Mark Waugh has been left baffled by the state of England’s current batting line-up, possessing no glaring depth. After losing their first home Test series in seven years, England run the risk of losing to India in the upcoming five-match rubber, starting August. Mark Waugh underlined there is a drastic lack of quality in the batting unit and took a shot at opener Dom Sibley.

Dom Sibley earned his call-up to the Test team after scoring a truckload of runs in domestic cricket as he made 1324 runs at 69.68, with a high score of 244 in the 2019 County Championship. The right-handed batsman has so far scored one Test ton each against South Africa and the West Indies; however, he has been inconsistent too.

Nevertheless, the Surrey batsman’s three half-centuries are as many for an England batsman this year. In 20 Tests so far, he averages a modest 30.78, scoring 985 runs. Sibley made a half-century at Lord’s against New Zealand after perishing for a duck in the first innings and made 43 runs in a losing effort at the Edgbaston. It remains to be seen if Sibley retains his place against India and the Ashes in Australia later this year.

Someone like Dom Sibley, he can’t score: Mark Waugh

Mark Waugh started by saying he cannot understand why England lacks depth in their batting line-up and suggested slotting back James Vince back in the side. However, the 56-year old believes that Dom Sibley, who cannot score, should not be opening the innings with Rory Burns in the Ashes. Waugh highlighted that the 25-year old does not seem like a Test player and cannot fathom how he reached at this level.

“There’s just no quality there. I don’t know why there’s no depth in batting in the English line-up. To me James Vince is not a bad player. I know he’s played 13 Tests, but he’s got a touch of class. Someone like Dom Sibley, he can’t score. You can’t come to Australia with Burns and Sibley opening the batting, because they can’t score. He hasn’t got any shots, Dom Sibley. He’s not a Test player, and quite frankly I don’t know how he got to that level. There’s got to be a shortage of players there,” Waugh told on the Road to Ashes podcast.

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