Dear Cricket Australia,
I am a long time fan of the game, some 30 years have passed since I first strapped on a pad, but a first time correspondent. I write to implore you to bring an end to the charade that is domestic cricket in this country.
Until recent times, the domestic competitions in Australia, consisting of the Sheffield Shield and 50 over competition, were the benchmark world wide whilst also providing the benchmark for selection in the Australian team. Simply, albeit with some exceptions obvious to those sitting in Queensland, if you performed in the domestic competitions you had a chance to be selected. Of late, as confirmed by the events of today, it has become clear that the status of the domestic competitions as the last bastion before selection to the Australian team is no longer.
It has never been more clear that this is the case after the selection of the Australia One Day International team to face South Africa announced today. The squad announced is:
Michael Clarke (capt.), George Bailey, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Aaron Finch Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner, Shane Watson
The selection of Matthew Wade is, without question, a travesty and completely out of touch with the form shown by wicketkeepers in the just completed Matador BBQs Cup. Consider these numbers arising from this just completed competition:
| Player | Games | Innings | Runs | Average | S/R |
| Matthew Wade | 6 | 6 | 101 | 16.83 | 63.52 |
| Chris Hartley | 8 | 8 | 403 | 57.57 | 83.09 |
| Peter Neville | 8 | 8 | 267 | 33.37 | 69.89 |
| Tim Paine | 6 | 6 | 249 | 49.8 | 91.88 |
I am an unashamed Queensland fan and thus will not always advocate for the selection of Chris Hartley. This time his form in the domestic competition not just warrants it, it demands it. However, even forgetting the form of Hartley the selection of Wade ahead of Neville or Paine is equally as unexplainable on form.
If players can not get selected in the Australian team even when they are in exemplary form or, as a minimum, better form than the person selected then it stands to reason that form in the domestic competitions counts for nothing.
That being the case I ask that you put these domestic competitions out of their metaphorical misery, save some money and end them. They serve no practical purpose anymore and that would open up the schedule to allow you to put more T20 domestic games on which you so sorely and clearly crave.
Best Regards,
A long-suffering fan
Shumpty Speaks 