New role, but Whiteman once more in selectors' sights

The last time Australia's selectors were casting their eyes in Sam Whiteman's direction, he was being touted as a future Test wicketkeeper for whenever incumbent Brad Haddin gave up the gloves.

Six years after Whiteman filled that role for Australia A, and with Peter Nevill, Matthew Wade and current captain Tim Paine having taken the Test keeper's job at various times along the way, the Western Australia left-hander is again mounting a case for higher honours.

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But this time it's as a specialist opener, given the 28-year-old hasn't kept wicket in a Marsh Sheffield Shield game since 2016, shortly before he suffered a serious finger injury while behind he stumps for Perth Scorchers in their KFC BBL final triumph.

That blow, courtesy of a Mitchell Johnson thunderbolt, cost Whiteman a year on the sidelines during which he underwent two bouts of surgery and consulted hand specialists before returning to the Scorchers line-up as a batter-only.

It was a further 12 months before he earned a recall to WA's Shield team, as opening partner with his schoolboy teammate and good friend Cameron Bancroft who had himself earned a Baggy Green cap the previous summer.

Despite being dropped after a string of low scores at the start of last season, Whiteman's reunion with Bancroft has seen the pair forge one of the most consistent first-wicket pairings in Shield cricket over that period.

And Whiteman's personal contribution has exceeded that of his more celebrated partner, with his century today against New South Wales at Gladys Elphick Park his second ton in three Shield matches.

Since his return to WA's Shield XI last February, Whiteman has been the competition's most prolific batter (415 runs at almost 60) and is in the sort of form selectors tend to notice.

Especially in changed COVID19 circumstances and a Test summer where it's expected a larger-than-usual travelling Test squad will be required.

On current (albeit limited) results, he is the in-form red-ball opener and credits his union with Bancroft for his resurrection from wounded keeper to top-order run machine.

"We've played a lot of cricket together," Whiteman said.

"We've played from basically (age) sixteen onwards so we know each other's games really well so it's been nice to put some good partnerships together at the top of the order.

"I think it's something that WA have probably struggled with in the last couple of years."

They might be in the early phase of their opening alliance – the current Shield game against NSW is the ninth match they've faced the new ball together – but their output vindicates Whiteman's observation they are a boon for WA's batting.

Of opening pairs to have batted together for WA more than 10 times in Shield fixtures, their current first-wicket partnership average of 39.82 is best since current coaches Justin Langer (Australia) and Chris Rogers (Victoria) who averaged 46.36 across 36 innings between 2002 and 2008.

They also form part of the most productive top-order in the first round and a bit of the current Shield season, with five of their top seven (Whiteman, Shaun Marsh, Cameron Green, current keeper Josh Inglis and Ashton Agar) all posting centuries across three innings thus far.

The presence of accomplished close catchers the calibre of Marsh, Agar and Ashton Turner in WA's slips cordon means Whiteman now finds himself routinely patrolling the outfield, where his strong throwing arm belies his earlier life as a wicketkeeper.

And he admits he now prefers the role of out rider to his past career as a gloveman, except when he's asked to run from boundary to boundary as was occasionally the case when NSW were piling on runs yesterday morning.

"No I definitely enjoy running around the field, though not from deep square to deep square," Whiteman said when asked if keeping remained his first fielding love.

"I enjoy running around the field and opening the batting."