Pakistan vs Australia 2018: Graham Hick Concerned With Australia's Batting

Australia’s batting coach Graham Hick is concerned with team’s batting line-up despite the heroics in the first Test match against Pakistan. The visitors were able to somehow dodge the defeat in the Dubai Test after fine knocks from Usman Khawaja and Tim Paine. However, Australia only made 202 runs in the first innings which pushed them on the backfoot.

Graham Hick said the game has changed a lot in the last ten years. The batsmen have a different mindset while playing at the International level. Hick says if a batter is not ready to fight it out in a middle in the domestic circuit, he won’t be able to come up with good performances at the topmost stage.

Hick makes a good point.

In fact, we can’t expect a drastic change from a player. If a batsman hasn’t gone the extra yards in the domestic circuit, he can’t be expected to come up roses at the International level.

“There’s a definitely been a big shift in the way batters are going about their first-class cricket now,” Hick told reporters in Dubai ahead of the squad’s departure for Tuesday’s second Test in Abu Dhabi.

Graham Hick said the best place to learn is out there in the middle. Therefore, the player must try to fight it out whenever he gets his opportunity.

“That is one big difference (to previous eras) – if you’re averaging 35 rather than 45, you’re spending a lot less time out in the middle. We all know that the best place to learn is out in the middle.

“At the state level, at club level, wherever you play, the best place to learn is out in the middle so don’t waste those opportunities. “

“As you come up to Test cricket, having to bat for four, five and six hours, it takes a hell of a lot. If you don’t learn to do that in the earlier systems and the earlier cricket you’re playing, don’t expect to do it when you suddenly pitch up in Test cricket”.

Don’t waste the opportunity at the domestic circuit.

Graham Hick went on to add a batsman should try to make the most of his opportunities in Sheffield Shield. A batsman cannot afford to waste an opportunity at the domestic level and then expect himself to suddenly succeed at the International level.

“If you’re playing (Sheffield) Shield cricket and you have opportunities to bat all day … your innings ebbs and flows throughout the day. If you don’t do that there and try to do it in Test cricket for the first time under that pressure and in that environment that ‘Uzzie’ (Khawaja) did, it’s just not going to happen.

“Maybe those opportunities are wasted at times with the way players are playing – a far more attacking or aggressive game these days (as opposed to) 15 or 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago.”

Graham Hick has hit the nail on the head as he has all the experience under his belt. There has been a drastic change in the approach of the players. Thus, the level of hard and fighting batsmanship has gone down in the recent past.