February 12, 2008	Tuesday	Safar 04 ,1429

SYDNEY, Feb 11: Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has made himself available for Australia’s upcoming Test tour of Pakistan.

However, he is not ready for a first-class return in New South Wales’ next Pura Cup game.

On Sunday MacGill played his first match, a club outing, since having surgery for a carpal-tunnel syndrome on his bowling hand late last year.

After bowling 12 overs he finished with figures of 1 for 39 and although the results encouraged him, he said teaming up for the Blues against Victoria in a match starting this Friday would be a stretch.

“I’d love to play against the Vics,” MacGill told the Daily Telegraph.

“But I think bowling ten overs is a whole lot different to bowling 30 and maybe 30 again the next day. I don’t think I’m ready for that and I don’t want to be fooled by an encouraging day. The most important thing for me is not to let anybody down when I do get back on the field.”

MacGill said he was very tense before taking the ball for Sydney University, as he had only bowled about 15 balls in the nets since his surgery.

“The nerves were 100 times worse than my first Test,” he expressed. “I was very nervous to the point of considering not bowling.”

However, the spinner believes he will have no fitness concerns by the time of the Pakistan visit, scheduled for late March.

There is still doubt over the future of the trip but if it goes ahead MacGill is likely to be selected along with Brad Hogg and perhaps a younger spinner.

“After today I’ll definitely be fit for the tour of Pakistan, definitely,” MacGill stated. “I bowled all of my variations and I bowled at least one good one of all of them.”—Agencies