AUSTRALIA’S selection panel are under attack after promising Mitchell Marsh two Test matches, only to pull the carpet from under his feet.

Selectors cannot be blamed for the all out for 85 carnage that occurred on day one at Bellerive. That embarrassment is on the heads of the batsmen.

However, Rod Marsh and his crew must at some stage start taking responsibility for the confusing mixed messages that continue to undermine the entire selection system, otherwise risk losing the trust of the playing group.

Coach Darren Lehmann has denied there’s an issue, despite fellow selector Mark Waugh giving an iron-clad guarantee to under-siege all-rounder Mitchell Marsh that he had Perth and Hobart to fight for his spot.

“He is not cooked because we have actually picked this team for the first two Tests – he definitely has two Tests,” Waugh told Triple M last Saturday.

That green tick initially appeared to be backed up by Lehmann’s assertion that “the 12 was the 12”.

By Monday, Marsh was made aware that the goal posts had suddenly moved and he was now on the chopping block.

Those sleepless nights would have only cranked up once it became there was no issue with Adam Voges’ hamstring, and therefore Callum Ferguson was looming as the new No.6.

Come game time and Marsh was officially axed, his career at the cross roads - with Lehmann indicating he’ll have to go back to Shield cricket - a sign he’s likely to at least miss the Adelaide Test as well.

Lehmann maintained that the communication challenges were clear.

“I don’t think it’s mixed messages the players are fine,” said Lehmann, adamant things were right to change due to conditions and injury.

“Rodney talks to them before the match all the time so they know what’s going on. It’s very clear. Whether they agree with it or not is a different scenario.”

Mitch Marsh’s unacceptable batting average of 23 suggests he wouldn’t have made a difference yesterday at Bellerive, and the logic that this would be a wet Test where an all-rounder could be dispensed with, in isolation made complete sense.

However, no one forced the selectors to make a pledge to Marsh before the series that they weren’t prepared to keep.

This fundamental breaking of trust can have far-reaching ramifications, because players no longer know where they stand in the eye of their superiors.

“Yes there is,” said former opener Chris Rogers when asked about mixed messages from selectors on Fox Sports.

“What do you say? I think they back themselves into a little bit of a corner and then there was a realisation with this Test it might be shorter … That’ll be that excuse but it’s really hard on Mitch Marsh.

“It does give an interesting message to the change room.”

Another recently retired great Mitchell Johnson also summed up the attitude cricketers have to policies and rules being changed on the run.

“Mitch Marsh ‘not cooked’ and won’t be dropped by Australia, says Mark Waugh,” tweeted Johnson, with a link to the Fox Sports story that printed those words in clear black ink.

This isn’t the first time this kind of thing has happened – and not the first time it’s happened to Marsh either.

During the 2015 World Cup Shane Watson was axed by National Selector Rod Marsh, giving Mitchell Marsh his opportunity.

But a couple of days later Mark Waugh had the casting vote and decided to bring Watson straight back.

Jackson Bird has been given mixed messages in two consecutive seasons – initially that he didn’t bowl quickly enough, and now that he’s not a good enough No.11 batsman.

Mitchell Marsh’s demise seemed inevitable, and if he isn’t recalled for the third Test in Adelaide he should get at least two Sheffield Shield matches to make runs at state level for WA before the next series starts against Pakistan.

Selectors shouldn’t be blamed for dropping Marsh, but they should accept responsibility for breaking promises.