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| August 25, 2005 | Thursday | Rajab 19, 1426 |
Tait gets cap as Aussies sweat over McGrath fitness
NOTTINGHAM (England), Aug 24: Australia captain Ricky Ponting confirmed Wednesday that fast bowler Shaun Tait will make his Test debut in the fourth match of the Ashes series against England starting at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Australia’s plans were thrown into doubt when veteran quick Glenn McGrath sustained a right elbow injury which flared up in practice on Tuesday.
But Ponting said Michael Kasprowicz would be on stand by in the event McGrath didn’t play and not Jason Gillespie, the man Tait replaced.
“Kasper’s on standby for McGrath as it stands right now,” Ponting told reporters on Wednesday.
“But listening to Glenn this morning there’s a good chance that Glenn will be okay anyway.”
Earlier, Australia physiotherapist Errol Alcott, explaining McGrath’s condition, said: “Glenn noticed a little bit of soreness in his elbow after the fourth day of the last Test match. Next day batting and thereafter there were no real problems with his right elbow.
“During the two-day game (against Northamptonshire) up at Northampton, I think it was the 11th over, he bowled a bouncer and felt some sharp pain in his right elbow and got the usual joint symptoms of weakness and it’s gone on from there,” said Alcott who accompanied McGrath to London on Tuesday for a scan.
Asked what McGrath’s prospects of playing at Trent Bridge were Alcott, replied: “We’d like more time of course but we’re confident he’s responding to treatment and he’ll have more treatment today.
“We’ll re-assess him later this evening and might leave until as late as tomorrow although we’d prefer not to if we can,” explained Alcott who did not rule out the possibility of McGrath playing with a painkilling injection.
McGrath, 35, missed the second Test at Edgbaston which England won by two runs after damaging his ankle in the warm-up when treading on a ball.
One of only four bowlers to have taken 500 Test wickets, McGrath returned to play his part in the draw at Old Trafford, surviving the last four overs in a final-wicket stand with Brett Lee to deny England victory and a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Meanwhile Ponting said he was excited about seeing the fiery Tait, 22, in Test action after the new boy’s South Australia team-mate Gillespie had seen his three wickets in the series to date cost an expensive 100 runs each.
“He’s an extremely talented young fast bowler. He’s got a slightly unusual action and the ability to take wickets. He took 65 wickets in first-class cricket in Australia last year which is only one off the all-time record in domestic cricket in Australia.
“Brett’s been expected to do a lot of bowling, more than we would have liked at times and guys like Brett and Shaun are best used in shorter bursts. So far through the series we’ve had to bowl Brett in longer spells because of what’s been happening at the other end.”
Tait, whose 18 wicketless overs for Durham last season cost an expensive 176 runs, asked if he was a different bowler now, replied: “I hope so otherwise it’s going to be quite embarrassing. I just had a rhythm problem.”
A bowler with a slingy action, likened to legendary Aussie quick Jeff Thomson — who bowed out of Test cricket when Tait was just two years old -– Tait has a similarly uncomplicated approach to his trade.
“I let myself go and let them have it. A lot of aggression goes into my bowling. I’ve got a weird action and so far it’s gone in my favour.”
Probable teams:
ENGLAND: Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan (captain), Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard.
AUSTRALIA: Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting (captain), Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath (or Michael Kasprowicz), Shaun Tait.
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Steve Bucknor (West Indies).
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).—Agencies
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