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Coulter-Nile selection 'ridiculous': Saker

Bushrangers mentor surprised by Coutler-Nile inclusion but understands 'velocity philosophy' in Australia

Victoria coach David Saker has once again aired his disagreement with Australia's selectors, labelling the call-up of West Australian paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile to the Test squad for the injured Mitchell Starc as "ridiculous".

Coulter-Nile was today named in Australia's 12-man squad for the first Commonwealth Bank Test against the West Indies in Hobart by National Selection Panel chairman Rod Marsh.

Marsh said the selection of Coulter-Nile was based on "gut feeling" from the NSP, citing the fast bowler's extra pace as a key factor for his inclusion despite having not played a first-class fixture this summer.

"I’m a bit surprised they’ve gone for Coulter-Nile seeing as he hasn’t played," Saker told SEN. "To me that’s ridiculous.

"You’ve got three or four other guys that would have been first picked before him but that’s the way they’ve gone."

Image Id: ~/media/F14BB7BA5E24461684F66B13185033AB

Coulter-Nile is heading to Hobart // Getty Images

Marsh, Bupa Support Team head coach Darren Lehmann and bowling coach Craig McDermott, have made it clear they favour fast bowlers who can reach speeds of 140kph and beyond.

It's for that reason Coulter-Nile was selected ahead of line and length bowlers Jackson Bird, Chad Sayers and Joe Mennie.

And why Saker's Victorian paceman Scott Boland was named as the standby player for the first Test next Thursday in case any misfortune comes to Australia's fast bowling stocks.

Boland, 26, claimed a career-best 7-31 in the 356-run demolition of Western Australia last week, and Saker says the right-armer was at top pace throughout the match.

"I'm not sure what he'd be clocked at, but he's no slower than anyone else going around Australia at the moment," Saker said.

"He was seriously quick and had some of the young Western Australian batmen scrambling around the crease a bit." 

WATCH: Boland takes career-best against WA

Saker, who was England's bowling coach prior to taking over the helm at Victoria this season, agrees that the 'velocity philosophy' does have credit in Australia where the pitches tend to be flatter, harder and are often bereft of grass coverage.

But in other countries, like his former home in England, Saker says accuracy is more important than acceleration, and was stunned with the pace attack Australia selected for the 2015 Ashes series this winter.

"I sometimes do think that the Australian selectors do have a lot of importance on pace, but in Australia pace actually does produce more wickets – they've done studies on that," Saker said.

"Away from Australia, it isn't pace (that gets wickets).

"I was really shocked in England (with Australia's fast bowler selections); it isn't about pace, it's about putting the ball in the right area and they picked a real pace attack."

Australia's three-pronged pace attack of Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood played the first four Tests on the unsuccessful Ashes campaign and struggled to control the swinging Dukes ball and maintain consistent pressure on England's rampant batsmen who regularly scored at more than four runs per over.

Peter Siddle replaced Hazlewood for the final Test at The Oval, starring with six wickets through persistent line and length without the aid of extra pace. 

WATCH: Siddle takes Test wicket No.200

The pace attack of Starc, Hazlewood, Johnson and Siddle might not have fired in England, but they were the four specialist fast bowlers that secured a 2-0 home series win against the Black Caps.

But Marsh says those bowlers around the country who rely more on swing and seam rather than speed still have a place in the national team when conditions suit.

"If it's a hard, flat pitch then pace is obviously an advantage," Marsh said on bowlers who can hit 140kph.

"(But) if it's a pitch with a little bit of grass on it, as we saw (in Adelaide) -  I thought probably the best bowler for New Zealand was (medium-fast seamer Doug) Bracewell.

"Bracewell is low to mid 130(kph) and he bowled beautifully because he bowled a line and length.

"There are guys other of our side that would have bowled beautifully on that pitch with the pink ball. No doubt about it.

"You've just got to sometimes pick horses for courses. 

"The thing about Hobart is until we get down here we don't know what we've got."