Good articles by Haigh (mostly) and Geeves, and agree with Leysy's posting. I can't be arsed going into detail, suffice to say Cricket Australia and the selectors are a pack of *smile*ing idiots as far as I'm concerned, and like them, 'Elite Honesty' Langer tells the truth as he wants it to be, not as it actually is.
On the Vics, Leysy: Elliott, Hodge and Jamie Siddons would all have played 100 Tests for any other country, and should have had far more opportunities than they got. Maxwell is being crucified, and Agar has been left to wilt on the vine after the most astonishing Test debut innings ever played. Cameron White has a better first-class batting average than any of the current side bar Khawaja (not that I am advocating for his selection). You can bet Ian Harvey would have got far more opportunity and would have played Test cricket if he were from one or three other states.
Having said that, Victorian cricket has not produced a Test champion batsman since Bill Lawry. From all reports Bob Cowper might have been one but he retired at 27 for financial reasons with a Test triple century and an average of 47 under his belt (first-class average rising 54). And anyway, Lawry was still playing, that's how long ago that was. Jones reckons he was a better batsman after the age of 30 but all but the last 3 of his Tests were played before then, before selectors in their wisdom decided a 21-year-old with one year in the game was a better option than the man who had just led the scoring in the most recent series. As much as I loved Damien Martyn as a player, he was not ready when they picked him, which is why it took him another 8 years to cement his spot. Meanwhile, we got 46 Tests of Greg Blewett mediocrity while Jones averaged 75 in Shield cricket.
The Victorian system is far from immune from criticism. The state selectors have picked the wrong players. My Dad, a great judge who has been involved in cricket since the 1940s and whose favourite batsman ever is still Neil Harvey, rates Warren Ayres as one of the best batsmen he's ever seen. Not Premier Cricket batsman - which is where Dad has only ever seen him bat - but any batsmen. Ayres made 7 first-class centuries as an inconsistent but talented young man, then was discarded and never picked again despite making more runs than any player in the history of the state at the next level down. 15,000+ runs, 41 centuries. Meanwhile, they put 20 Shield games into someone like Shawn Craig, not half the cricketer.
Darren Dempsey was another who should have got a go at state level. He's from Mt Gambier and played 3 first-class games for SA with no success, but the only 6 batsmen to make more runs than him in the history of Premier Cricket all played more matches. 10,000 first-grade runs at 43, with 27 tons, and they never picked him. Simon Dart similar - a few first-class games as a kid, none after the age of 23 despite nearly 9000 runs at almost 44 at Premier level. Grant Gardiner, Rohan Larkin and Ben Fletcher are other prolific scorers who should have been given greater opportunity. Aiden Blizzard had too much talent to never get a go for his home state.
And then of course, there is Victoria producing what - 56%? - of AFL footballers, which steals talent from cricket.
All eyes on Pucovski...