Likewise, there is nothing to state that every 32 year old gets picked purely on the count that he is more experienced. Let’s look at an example. Do you remember Mr. Micheal Bevan? Or rather, let me rephrase that. Can you ever forget Bevan? He would come in during situations where survival itself would seem difficult. And out of nowhere, you would see him stealing victory from under his opponent’s noses. Never in the innings would there be any flashy shots. There would be only singles and doubles and a boundary here and there. The end result would be a half century in as many balls and more importantly, a win for Australia. Surprisingly, he ended his cricket career in relative anonymity in the domestic circuit whereas most players of his caliber would end theirs in the spotlight of the international media amidst ‘good byes’ and ‘will miss him’ headlines. Sounds like sacrilege, but stats justify this.
During the last two years of his international career, Bevan averaged 44 which was far lower than his overall average of 54- clearly, he was on a decline. In the same period, Symonds also had an average of 44 but this was higher than the average he had begun with which was 40. Clearly, he was on the ascent. Add to this the factor that he is a hard-hitter and a handy spinner. So Symonds over-rode Bevan for a place in the side, but not because he was younger than Bevan, but on the sheer weight of his performance and abilities.