Two years ago I ranked all the current Australian cricketers, following the 1st test of the summer.
Last year, I did it again.
This year, I just couldn't bring myself to do it a third time.
It just didn't seem fun. And I didn't start writing things of very limited appeal for a tiny audience with no monetary reward to not have fun.
I think the main reason it was no longer fun lies in this question: how can you make sense of Australian cricket currently?
For example, how do you rank Tim Paine? Here's a player who has been mostly on the outer of state first-class cricket for two years, and has made one first-class century 11 seasons ago while not keeping wicket, yet now finds himself the Test team wicketkeeper batting at #7. You simply can't make a fair assessment. Something in the cricket process is broken for this to happen.
Also, did you know Billy Stanlake is one of Australia's 20 centrally contracted players?
So it just seemed easier and less frustrating to do a Top 20 with some honourable mentions.
This way I also don't have to trawl recent scorecards and career statistics for fringe state players. I can freely admit I don't know anything about them, just like everyone else.
Once again the list is heavily skewed towards first-class cricket - Sheffield Shield and Test matches.
Honourable Mentions
The closest player to miss out on the Top 20 was Jason Behrendorff (WA), The left-arm quick was State player of the year in 2014-15, brilliant in the 2015-16 Big Bash League, and took 9/37 in a Sheffield Shield match last season. He seems like a natural back up to Mitchell Starc. Unfortunately a chronic back injury puts his ability to reach the highest level in serious doubt. But I think at full fitness he's one of the best bowlers in the country.
His state team mate Nathan Coulter-Nile was close too, but unfortunately is just as injury prone. Coulter-Nile couldn't even make the rankings the last two seasons due to injury. This year he managed one state match before a two-day warmup against England before hitting the physios table.
Still on injuries, and Chris Lynn (Qld) is easily the best player to not have a state contact - his future seems to be various Twenty 20 leagues across the globe. Ashton Agar (WA) is currently out with a fractured finger, but last year I said, I'm on the Agar bandwagon. Big time. I haven't stepped off yet.
Amongst fit cricketers, veterans George Bailey (Tas), Ed Cowan (NSW), Callum Ferguson (SA) and Cameron White (Vic) are all clearly still amongst the best batsmen in the country, even if the Australian (and sometimes state) selectors are ignoring experience for youth... unless you are Shaun Marsh.
Meanwhile brother Mitch Marsh (WA) scored a century while the Test match is on, so a Test recall for the all-rounder to provide "balance" is a matter of when not if.
Finally, perhaps my greatest talent identification over three years has been Hilton Cartwright (WA). In 2015-16 he was way down in 82nd, but I called him the best batsmen in the inaugural Cricket Australia domestic one-day side. In 2016-17 I ranked him 40th and suggested he might be a better all-rounder than Marsh. Since then he's finished second in the Shield batting aggregates and made his debut for Australia. I think his problem is going to be that Australia has an all-rounder hole, and he's a batsmen peg. They'll want him to play at 6 or 7 and bowl a lot, whereas he's a future 3 or 4 that offers a bit of changeup bowling. The process will potentially turn the nation against him. It happened with Shane Watson.
The List:
20. Steve O'Keefe (NSW, Last Year Rank: 17)
Has a behavioural record that would be getting you close to deregistered in the NRL, but is clearly the 2nd best spinner in the country - see his 12 wickets in the 1st Test win in India.
19. Travis Head (SA, 15)
Head is firmly established in the Australian ODI and Twenty20 teams now, and I really believe he's got that x-factor that will make him a much better Test batsmen than his career first-class average suggests. Also bowls a bit of handy off-spin.
18. Joe Mennie (SA, 11)
The top wicket-taker in Shield cricket in 2015-16, Mennie made his Test debut in the 2nd Test last year, then was dropped in the bloodletting after the terrible result. So Mennie went back to Shield cricket - well eventually, as initially the selectors requested he be rested, even as they planned to sack him - and took 27 wickets at under 21 from just six matches.
17. Peter Siddle (Vic, 10)
I'm pretty sure Victoria will win the Shield with the pace trio of Siddle, Tremain and Boland, backed up by spinners Holland and Fawad Ahmed, all getting ignored by national selectors.
16. Shaun Marsh (WA, 13)
The older Marsh might be so maligned now he's actually a bit underrated. I still wouldn't pick him the Test team though. On the other hand, I don't get how he's not in the limited overs squads for Australia.
15. Peter Nevill (NSW, 14)
Still the best keeper-batsmen going, and I don't think it's particularly close. This will be the first list where I haven't accidentally typed Phil Nevill and had to edit after publishing.
14. Joe Burns (Qld, 7)
Part of the cull after the 2nd Test of last summer, the Queenslander showed his class with 81 and 103 for his state while the 1st Test was being played.
13. Matt Renshaw (Qld)
It says a lot about Aus cricket when 12 months ago Renshaw wasn't in the Queensland team to be ranked, and now he's already a Test team discard. He was picked on a hunch about his technique and temperament rather than weight of runs, delivered on those qualities, then got dropped because selectors flipped the script and decided Shield runs matter again. At just 21, he'll be back.
12. Jackson Bird (Tas, 12)
Not that fast but is at least tall, so gets an occasional look-in. Does the job when asked.
11. Cameron Bancroft (WA, 19)
The man on the receiving end of that headbutt, Bancroft had been on the verge of Test selection before his debut at the 'Gabba. Can also keep wicket.
10. Peter Handscomb (Vic, 24)
Last year I said, Really good batsmen at Shield level... but doesn't do it often enough to push for a Test spot. I'm not sure I was wrong, but after the Hobart disaster last year, selectors took a punt and he's done extremely well. I still think his extreme back-foot technique could be found out by elite pace bowlers - see how James Anderson dismissed him in the 1st Test.
9. Usman Khawaja (Qld, 6)
Wonderful batsmen at home, seems to be completely untrusted to perform away.
8. Chadd Sayers (SA, 8)
Me last year: ...now he might be a yard too slow for the very best international batsmen, but it would be nice to find out for sure instead of speculating. Sayers has since taken 62 Shield wickets last season. The current Australian pace attack is very good, but he needs a chance.
7. Patrick Cummins (NSW)
This is the first time Cummins has been ranked, as being fit and actually playing games is a fairly recent phenomenon for him. If he stays fit, could go a lot higher in this list.
6. Glenn Maxwell (Vic, 22)
Nobody has ever doubted the Big Show's talent, just his judgment. But in the last 12 months he has tightened his game, scoring a great century in India, and playing some patient innings for Victoria to start the season. So he got dropped anyway, but responded by scoring 278 in the Sheffield Shield.
5. Josh Hazlewood (NSW, 4)
Everyone says he's the next Glenn McGrath, but he seems far more boring, both on and off the pitch.
4. Nathan Lyon (NSW, 5)
Two years ago I said Lyon was underrated and best Australian offie in 30 years. Last year I suggested he was the best non-Asian spinner in the world. Now I think the former groundsman is just the best spinner. He outperformed India's spinners on their home turf recently, and just looked like he was bowling grenades against the English left-handers.
3. David Warner (NSW, 2)
Fine batsmen, probably not the sharpest tool in the shed.
2. Mitchell Starc (NSW, 3)
Leading into the Ashes, Starc took 8/73 in one match for New South Wales, and two hat tricks in the next.
1. Steven Smith (NSW, 1)
Duh.
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