On Our Selection
Archie Mac |Published: 2025
Pages: 275
Author: Whimpress, Bernard
Publisher: Private
Rating: 4.5 stars
The bi-line for On Our Selection is – an alternative history of Australian cricket. At first I thought this bi-line may indicate a premise along the lines of the fascinating re-imaging of military campaigns in the book What If? , edited by Robert Cowley.
I had imaginings of cricket historian Bernard Whimpress debating what ifs in relation to how cricket history would have changed if Bradman had been given out in the ‘Ikin incident’ in his comeback Test after the Second World War. Would the Don have retired? Or what if Keith Miller had succeeded Lindsay Hassett to the Australian captaincy? Would Australia still have lost the 1954/55 and 1956 Ashes series if the flamboyant Miller and not Ian Johnson captained?
While there are elements of What If? In On Our Selection, it’s much closer to an Australian version of Allen Synge’s excellent Sins of Omission, which I note CricketWeb is yet to review.
On Our Selection is set out in chronological order, starting with the very first Test series in 1877 and ending with the Test debut of Cooper Connolly. Each subject covered is usually between two to four pages, and while they are mostly on individual players, there are some broader subjects covered, with wicket keepers featuring a few times. Perhaps this is due to the subjective nature of rating ‘keepers as opposed to the more objective stats for the other disciplines of the game.
In his preface, Whimpress acknowledges that the Australian selectors have not made as many blunders as their English counterparts. Still, the author finds some whoppers!
Due to the lack of technology which made communication much more difficult, some of the biggest gaffes were from the earliest days of Test cricket. One concerns the selection of Ken Burn as the reserve wicket keeper for the 1890 tour. The catch was that Burn had never kept wicket in his life. This mistake was the selectors becoming confused with Burn’s ‘keeper brother. One incomprehensible error was the dropping of Don Bradman after his first Test. Still, for the history cricket buff the non-selection of Alan Kippax for the 1926 Ashes tour continues to wrangle. Whimpress sums it up with his heading: when grown met wept. At the peak of his graceful powers the 28-year-old Kippax was in the form of his life and was clearly the best performing batsman in the country. By rights he should have been one of the first players selected and no arguments will ever convince The Mac that he should not have been on the boat to England.
In more modern times the axing of Dean Jones, despite averaging 46.55, is dissected. Whimpress uses statistics to support his case that Jones was performing at a higher level than most of his contemporaries. Mike Whitney was another surprise; after topping the Australian bowling averages he was left out of the 1989 Ashes team.
A theme that the author develops throughout the book is the capricious nature of the selectors when it comes to certain players. For example, Whimpress suggests the Marsh family: father Geoff and sons Shaun and Mitch were afforded far too many chances given their output, while other players were given short shrift after just a couple of failures.
Controversially, the author uses statistical evidence to advocate that Stuart MacGill should have been selected over Shane Warne for a period, noting Warne, bar for one Test, was always given preference. It’s hard to argue with Whimpress when presented with the facts. This is just one example where Whimpress calls it as he sees it, which makes for riveting reading.
This is a great read from an author fully versed in the history of the game, and should not be missed. Copies are available from www.lulu.com/spotlight/bernardwhimpress or you can email bernardwhimpress@gmail.com – the price is $40.00au.
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