Inverarity admits to lack of batting depth in Australian cricket

Sydney: National chairman of selectors John Inverarity has admitted that Australia`s batting level has plunged down into worrying levels after only six batsmen were awarded the Cricket Australia (CA) contracts for the 2013-14 season.

In an indictment on Australia`s batting stocks, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Phil Hughes, David Warner, Ed Cowan and George Bailey were the only batsmen to feature in a 20-man national contract list. Admitting the country`s batting woes, which were severely exposed during Australia`s 4-0 rout in India, must be addressed especially now that Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey have retired, Inverarity said that Australia does not have the batting depth which it enjoyed seven or eight or 15 years ago. According to the chairman, Australian cricket needed more batsmen making runs more prolifically in all the forms of the games, adding that such run-scorers have been absent from domestic cricket, which needs to be a focus of coaching and development in Australia. Inverarity further said that although the team has a good batch of pace bowlers, the stability of batsmen needed greater certainty in the top six. ANI