Chronicle EditorZIMBABWE-born Hilton Cartwright is set to join the long list of debutantes for Australia after a hectic week of squad changes in the wake of Rod Marsh’s shock departure from the head of the selection panel.Australia will play a One-Day series against New Zealand in between their two Test series to try out the next generation of young guns on the international stage.
Should Cartwright go on to play for the Aussies, he will have followed in the footsteps of fellow Zimbabwe-bred Wallabies star David Pocock.
In cricket terms, he will have joined the growing list of Zimbabwe-born players such as Gary Ballance, Sean Ervine and Colin de Grandhomme who have opted to try their luck elsewhere rather than play for Zimbabwe.
Balance is now playing for England while de Grandhomme has just made his Test debut with New Zealand.
With all-rounder Mitchell Marsh under-performing, Cartwright will have the ultimate opportunity to impress selectors searching for the next Australian number six in both white and coloured clothing.
On stats alone, Cartwright looks to be someone to watch.
An average of 43 with the bat from 14 first-class matches is enough to make Mitch Marsh tremble in his boots after drastically under-performing at number six for Australia.
If selected over Marsh, Cartwright will join South African-born Kepler Wessels as the only other man born in Africa to pull on an Australian cap.
Wessels made his debut in 1982 and is the only man in 140 years of Test cricket to have played for two nations.
Despite not making a single century in 27 domestic one-dayers and taking only six wickets in his past ten games for Western Australia,
Cartwright has attracted the interests of selectors ahead of the New Zealand series enough to garner a selection alongside all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Mitch Marsh.
A trailblazing century in September was the easy highlight for the 24-year-old in recent months, hitting a measured 117 off 193 balls to bring the home side to 435 in their draw against India in Brisbane.
Cartwright joins the likes of England-born Matt Renshaw on the list of foreign-born players making their way into the Australian national squad.
Both players grew up overseas with high hopes of playing for their home nations, but like most things, it didn’t all go to plan.
“Since I was five, I was playing with dad in the backyard in Zimbabwe. It had always been my goal to play for Zimbabwe,” Cartwright recalled in 2012, when he made his Western Australia debut.
“But when our situation changed and we came here, I wanted to get that Baggy Green and these are my first steps — playing for WA and the Scorchers.
“I’ve had a few bumps along the way, but I’ve worked through and earned my spot.” Cartwright initially struggled for opportunities as a junior after moving to Perth. He never represented Australia at under-age level.
But he has made a big impression on national selectors since being part of the inaugural Cricket Australia XI that contested the 2015 one-day cup.
“Hilton bowls useful aggressive medium-pace and is a very good striker of the ball,” interim chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said of Cartwright, who represented Australia A earlier this year.
“He is an exciting young prospect for Australian cricket and we have been watching him at the pathway level for some time.”
Australia face New Zealand in ODIs at the SCG, Manuka Oval and the MCG on December 4, 6 and 9 respectively. — news.com.au
Online Reporter