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| October 25, 2001 | Thursday | Shaba'an 7, 1422 |
Wiseman replaces injured Vettori on Australian tour
SYDNEY, Oct 24: New Zealand Wednesday called up 31-year-old off-spinner Paul Wiseman to replace injured Daniel Vettori for their tour of Australia.
The loss of the left-arm Vettori is a huge blow for New Zealand given their lack of quality slow bowlers.
Wiseman was the predictable replacement for Vettori but his record will hardly concern the Australians when the three-Test series begins in Brisbane on Nov 8.
Wiseman has played 14 Tests, taking 34 wickets at an average of 43.82, including nine wickets from two Tests against Australia early last year.
But his best performances have come with Vettori pinning down batsmen at the other end, and his record in five matches without the left-arm spinner is six wickets at 70.66.
Wiseman is expected to play against the Queensland Academy of Sport in Brisbane on Friday, with a maximum of two matches before the Tests to win the confidence of his captain Stephen Fleming.
Wiseman’s spot in the Test team isn’t guaranteed, with Central Districts all-rounder Glen Sulzberger already on tour.
But the 28-year-old Sulzberger has yet to play a Test and tour selectors might opt for experience against an Australian batting line-up already scoring plenty of runs in domestic matches.
Meanwhile, Damien Martyn has a thigh strain just two weeks ahead of Australia’s opening Test against New Zealand.
Martyn, who consolidated a berth in Australia’s top order during the Ashes series in England, suffered a thigh strain in Wednesday’s one-day match against Tasmania at the WACA Ground here.
He needed a runner for the final six overs of his gutsy 108-run knock after moving gingerly between wickets for the final hour of his innings.
He played a lone-hand as the the Warriors made 195 for six, but could not take the field for Tasmania’s innings.
Tasmanian captain and Australian Test batsman Ricky Ponting hit 102 — his third century in as many innings in Australian inter-state ranks — to guide the islanders to a big upset win.
The Tasmanians reached 196 for five just inside 40 overs to win by five wickets with more than 10 overs to spare.
Ponting, who took over his state’s leadership only at the start of the season, hammered 126 (run out) and 154 in a Sheffield Shield clash against the strong New South Wales side in Sydney last week.
His sizzling strokemaking and bold captaincy are giving muscle to his ambition of eventually becoming Australian captain.
The world champions have several injury concerns with skipper Steve Waugh and fast bowler Brett Lee yet to begin their domestic seasons.
Western Australian cricket manager Rob Thompson said Martyn had complained of soreness and tightness in his right thigh after his 190-minute innings.
He was to receive treatment after the match and on Thursday in a bid to recover in time for Friday’s Sheffield Shield game with Tasmania at the same ground.
Thompson said Martyn would be given until late Thursday to prove his fitness, but it was still too early to tell how serious the injury was.
“He’s suffering a bit of soreness in the thigh and he’ll have to work tonight and tomorrow to see if he can come up,” he said.
“At this stage he remains in contention, but he’s in the hands of the medics now and they’ll have a much clearer idea by tomorrow morning.”—AFP
TROPHY UNVEILED: SYDNEY: The ICC Test championship trophy, awarded to Australia for being the leading team in world cricket, was unveiled at the headquarters of the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) in Melbourne Wednesday.
The trophy was presented to ACB chief executive James Sutherland and will reside in the ACB boardroom.
Australia were awarded the trophy for being the top-rated team on the ICC Test Championship table after an outstanding four years in test cricket.
Steve Waugh’s team first received the trophy at the inaugural presentation at Edgbaston in July during the Ashes Tour of England.
Australia will hold the trophy until at least mid-2002.—Reuters
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