**Official** Australia in Sri Lanka

[Eclipse]

Lee leaves field with injured ankle

look's like Lee may miss out.

Lee leaves field with injured ankle
March 4, 2004

BRETT Lee has left the field injured on the final day of Australia's cricket tour match against a President's XI in Colombo today.

Lee had just just taken the wicket of opener Avishka Gunawardena in his fourth over of the morning when he limped from the field with an ankle injury.

He was unable to finish his over, with Darren Lehmann bowling the last two balls.

Lee had showed no signs of any problem before the injury struck and at this stage the nature of the problem is unknown.

If it's serious it will be a huge blow for the world champions ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle starting on Monday.

The President's XI is currently 2-53 in its second innings after Australia declared on its overnight score of 4-250. Shane Warne has just claimed his first wicket of the innings

AAP

 

[Ferd]

play 2 spinners? or bring in a new quick? play Symonds as a batting bowler?

who are the other bowlers in the squad???

 

[age_master]

if Lee is out the bowling is settled...

as for macgill, he is nothing compared yto Warne, he realisticly doesn't have the accuracy for state cricket, let alone international...

 

[marc71178]

play 2 spinners? or bring in a new quick? play Symonds as a batting bowler?

I'd favour a quick when Katich and Lehmann are in there.

And playing Symonds would mean a batsman going in at 8 and there being a very weak bowling attack!

 

[Linda]

Lay off Marto already, I can't see what he's done wrong. If he's a certainty, he's a certaincy so live with it.

 

[Eclipse]

Lay off Marto already, I can't see what he's done wrong. If he's a certainty, he's a certaincy so live with it.

I love watching Martyn bat when he is in good form but as a fan of him you must admit he is not batting anywere nere his capabilitys ATM.

He is by far the most elegant of the Australian batsman and also one of the best stroke makers when he is in form but maybe he just needs a rest.

 

[Prince EWS]

Well, if I accept the certainties, this would be my Australia team:

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Martyn
Lehmann
Katich
Gilchrist
Lee (Warne)
Gillespie
Kasprowicz
MacGill

I dont think Warne has proven himself (although i think he is a better option in SL than Williams, so I have put him in as teh understudy for Lee), and I dont think Symonds ever will too me unless he slows down and plays properly. I really struggled picking that team, as I really think the Aussies picked a disappointing squad.

And I really dont think they will pick this side, but I would (accepting that martyn is a certainty). They will probably pick all the players I left out bar Seccombe!

 

[Gaijin-san]

I too was disappointed with the squad. They just seemed to pick a few players out of loyalty or obligation, rather than who really deserved to go.

 

[marc71178]

So then Ged, you won't mind naming the squad you would've taken then?

 

[V Reddy]

Nice to see Lanka Desilva back. I thought his career ended after that srinath bouncer. SRL should pick in the side instead of Kalu as he is better than him in all depts.

 

[The Argonaut]

If the selectors had any balls they would drop Martyn and play Katich and Symonds. It is not that he has done anything wrong necessarily. It's just that the form of the other two demands their selection. He has also not scpred enough runs in either the recent tests or one dayers. They should have allowed him to play in this lead up game and not told him that his position was safe. The selectors have painted themselves into a corner.

That said I expect him to play and Katich to win the no 6 spot. I would bat Lehmann at 4 and Martyn at 5.

Kaspar will play if Lee is not fit.

 

[Legglancer]

If the selectors had any balls they would drop Martyn and play Katich and Symonds. It is not that he has done anything wrong necessarily. It's just that the form of the other two demands their selection. He has also not scpred enough runs in either the recent tests or one dayers. They should have allowed him to play in this lead up game and not told him that his position was safe. The selectors have painted themselves into a corner.

That said I expect him to play and Katich to win the no 6 spot. I would bat Lehmann at 4 and Martyn at 5.

Kaspar will play if Lee is not fit.

I agree Completely !

 

[StUEy]

Murali get over it

I think Murali just has to learn how to get over it. The general public of Australia don't like Murali, mainly because of one reason only, he obviously chucks the ball in his delivery.

In my opinion, I think Murali should not be playing at the top level of cricket. It's so unfair to world class batsman trying to pick what the balls doing out of his hand, because of his action it's vertually impossible to pick. In a way it's like he has cheated to get all his wickets in both forms of the game for Sri Lanka.

Murali should never of toured Australia in the first place. Our umpires thought he chucked it, so they gave no balls, it was just an opinion and it was also correct.

Murali has a huge advantage over all batsman in the world, it's not like theres a batsman in the world who has an advantage over him!!!

 

[Mister Wright]

He is by far the most elegant of the Australian batsman and also one of the best stroke makers when he is in form but maybe he just needs a rest.

The problem is if they give him a rest it will more than likely be for the rest of his career. It is not like there no competition for middle order spots.

Martyn deserves a bit of support from the selectors, afterall he was kept out of the test team when he was in massive form, out of form guys like Langer & Ponting (at the time), Mark Waugh were all keeping him out of the side, when his form was much better than their's.

But he can't be given forever, I'm sure he'd rather be fighting for his career in England, New Zealand or South Africa than Sri Lanka.

 

[marc71178]

Re: Murali get over it

I think Murali just has to learn how to get over it.

Been there, done that, bought the T Shirt.

I think those who still accuse him of chucking have to learn to get over it.

 

[Mister Wright]

So then Ged, you won't mind naming the squad you would've taken then?

Let me guess the first three:

M. Clarke
M. North
S. Watson

 

[age_master]

If the selectors had any balls they would drop Martyn and play Katich and Symonds. It is not that he has done anything wrong necessarily. It's just that the form of the other two demands their selection. He has also not scpred enough runs in either the recent tests or one dayers. They should have allowed him to play in this lead up game and not told him that his position was safe. The selectors have painted themselves into a corner.

That said I expect him to play and Katich to win the no 6 spot. I would bat Lehmann at 4 and Martyn at 5.

Kaspar will play if Lee is not fit.

Martyn just doesn't have the footwork to play spinners well. and against a spin heavy side, with spin likley to be bowled for 70 odd overs a day there are better options than him. but the selectors dont have any balls, so he will probably get a free ride through this series.

 

[Craig]

Let me guess the first three:

M. Clarke
M. North
S. Watson

Well :duh:

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Re: Murali get over it

It's so unfair to world class batsman trying to pick what the balls doing out of his hand, because of his action it's vertually impossible to pick.

And here was I, thinking that was the goal of every bowler...

 

[Gaijin-san]

So then Ged, you won't mind naming the squad you would've taken then?

But of course
I'm sure you (all) are expecting me to say something stupid, but I'll do my best to avoid that. The team I would take is:

1. Langer
2. Hayden
3. Ponting
4. Martyn
5. Lehmann
6. Katich
7. Gilchrist
8. Lee
9. Warne
10. Gillespie
11. Kasprowicz

The following players make up the reserves, and would not play automatically:

12. Clarke/Symonds (Symonds has the form, but I'm just not sure about his long game. The reason he fights it out with Clarke is because it's been yonks since that hundred against India now, and you just don't get in on history)
13. Watson - I don't think another reserve batsman would really be needed, but it helps to have someone who can fill in a few overs aswell. That's all he'd need to do anyway because it's doubtful he'd bowl much in Sri Lanka. Purely a backup-backup.
14. Hogg - Laboured over a spinner to take if Warne simply can't hack it. Don't rate MacGill much, as everyone can get turn on the subcontinent and MacGill's pies would be destroyed by professionals. No Hauritz either because I don't rate his FC game. Maybe for the one day series but not tests, he's not cooked. Just like every other young spinner in Australia. Hogg was the last resort (the lesser of a million evils). No more specialist spinners needed because with at least one, Katich and Lehmann should do a reasonable job (and Clarke/Symonds are both there too if they somehow made it in)
15. Bichel? Tough choice for this. I don't think Australia needs more spinners or batsmen and I can't see Gilchrist taking a test off (anyone remember the last time he did? I don't think he has). That being the case, the one backup we might need is the old workhorse. Pace bowlers in the subcontinent need experience and need to be superfit. Despite a lack of form somewhat (who hasn't in the Aussie pace department lately?) he'd get my support. Someone from the pace trio is bound to stuff up royal and the motivation of someone trying to steal your spot should be enough. If not, Bic can steal their spot anyway

There you have it.