Slow bowling in a spin

The ranks below Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill are causing concern in Australia © Getty Images

One of the by-products of a skimpy-actress diet of international cricket in Australia over the past month has been the magnification of any issue. After the exaggerated coverage it would now be believable if the Indian Premier League announced it was going to steal all of the domestic and international talent, research showed Shaun Tait's action was as dodgy as a John Bracewell publicity campaign and advertisements trumpeted Stuart MacGill's wrist surgery on his lifestyle television show.

While the topics have allowed creative elasticity, one aspect does not need to be dramaticised. Spin bowling is causing so many furrows that the national youth selectors have spent the past two weeks at the under-19 national championships in Hobart looking at how they can beef up the country's stocks. They haven't quite installed a quota system, but expect a large contingent of slow options in the Australia Under-19 World Cup squad when it is named on Friday.

At the carnival David Boon, who is on the senior panel, has operated as the proxy for Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, to show the importance being placed on the next generation. The former Test spinners Ray Bright and Terry Jenner also turned their binoculars on the talent alongside Brian McFadyen, Australia's Under-19 coach and the interim head coach of the Centre of Excellence.

"The role we play in the youth selection panel is not just to pick the best team at this point in time, but to have one eye on the future," McFadyen says. "It's why we need to develop the spinners. Our squad balance would lean more towards an extra spot or two for spin."

Finding a new Shane Warne is not the goal. Discovering someone who could develop the bowling attributes of Stuart MacGill would be fine. Even another Brad Hogg would provide stress relief. A wrist-spinner is the priority, which is why McFadyen says the search area has expanded.

Australia's two best slow bowlers are 36 and the man on the next rung appears to be a banana smoothie loving 35-year-old who has spent more time in an IT office than first-class cricket. Victoria's Bryce McGain has represented Denmark, but this is the first season he has operated as a Pura Cup regular, taking 21 wickets at 31.90 in six matches.

If two slow men are chosen for the SCG on January 2 McGain could follow the unworn path of the offspinner Peter Taylor, who was such a shock choice in 1986-87 that the rumour of the selectors really wanting Mark Taylor remains. Talk of twin spin in Sydney is romantic as Warne and MacGill played there together only five times and the pace attack is a strength. However, the situation shows the medium-term future is currently as barren as the country's drought regions.

Australian cricket doesn't really like middle-aged surprises, but in the current climate there isn't much choice. MacGill is unlikely to face India and Dan Cullen is slowly becoming a regular member again at South Australia, where Cullen Bailey has bowled in only one Pura Cup contest this season. Even the reserved Hilditch has expressed his disappointment at the pair's failure to develop since obtaining base contracts of at least A$155,000 a year.

Things are not much brighter in the other states. Before Cameron White broke his foot he had been overtaken as a bowler by McGain and in Queensland when Daniel Doran prises the ball from Jimmy Maher he is too tense and inevitably struggles for control.

The New South Wales duo of Beau Casson and Nathan Hauritz seem destined to stay on the fringes no matter how often they move states. Their presence pushed the offspinner Jason Krejza to Tasmania, where Dan Marsh and Xavier Doherty hold up ends but don't unhinge batting orders. In the west Aaron Heal, a left-arm orthodox bowler who spent the winter at the Centre of Excellence, shows promise and must be one of the few people not wishing for the WACA pitch to regain its pace status.

A lot is demanded of spinners after Warne, but expectations are being lowered by the month. However, there are some positive signs from the under-19 championships, where six bowlers have stood out. The New South Wales wrist spinners Steven Smith and Sam Robson have impressed alongside their slow left-arm team-mate Daniel Burns, although having so many high-quality options in the squad has restricted their overs.

The finger spinners Clive Rose and Shane Devoy have collected more than 10 wickets while Cameron Boyce, the Queensland leggie, has shown his talent even without a large haul. Translating teenage promise into Test potential will take time.

"We don't expect a spinner at this age is going to be world class," McFadyen says. "We need to be realistic. Spinning the ball is important, but we want to see the mental side too. With the amount of 20- and 50-over cricket being played, there are a lot of times when they'll be turning back and getting the ball from the fence. It takes a special resilience."

Warne had it, MacGill has it and Hogg has shown it in one-day internationals. If Hogg can't prove it in Tests over the next month Australia's bare cupboard will be on display.