da aviator aposta： BRISBANE – Australia’s cricket selectors have been given extra time tosolve a spinning problem for the series opener against South Africa nextweek, but they won’t hand out a Test cap for the sake of it.
Michael Crutcher07-Dec-2001BRISBANE – Australia’s cricket selectors have been given extra time tosolve a spinning problem for the series opener against South Africa nextweek, but they won’t hand out a Test cap for the sake of it.The Adelaide Oval, which hosts the first Test from next Friday, hastraditionally been a base for two spinners, leaving a question mark overwho could partner Shane Warne.Stuart MacGill and Colin Miller are the most experienced contenders butcases can be made against both, leaving almost a lottery amongAustralia’s otherwise thin spinning ranks.National selector Allan Border said publicly that two spinners would benamed in a 12 or 13-man squad for Adelaide, leaving the door open for asurprise selection.But chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said the squad, which wassupposed to be named tomorrow, had not yet been discussed.The selectors will pick the squad on Saturday night after Hohns watchesSouth Africa open its first-class tour during a four-day match againstWestern Australia at the WACA Ground.Hohns was adamant selectors would not throw in another spinner for thesake of tradition at the Adelaide Oval, even though MacGill and Millerbowled half of Australia’s overs against the West Indies last summer.”It’s an option, and there is no doubt about that, but we have to decidewhich is the right way to go,” Hohns said.”We have to first decide whether another spinner warrants selection.”We’ve got a few young fellows coming through and we’ve got the triedand true performers so it’s something to be discussed.”Spinners across the country haven’t been banging down Hohns’ door thissummer, after struggling for impact on sometimes unco-operative wickets.Even Australian coach John Buchanan admitted that selectors faced atough decision.”You could go around the whole country and, if you look at thestatistics this season, there isn’t one person who has put up their handand said ‘pick me’,” Buchanan said.”It will be an interesting choice if selectors decide to go that way.”Selectors must first settle on the style of any second spinner -MacGill’s leg spin, Miller’s off spin or a left-arm spinner.Miller would have an advantage because his offies complement Warne’s legspin but the 38-year-old is struggling for opportunities with Victoria.His Test career would almost certainly be over if selectors plucked arookie off-spinner, perhaps even Queenslander Nathan Hauritz, for aglimpse of the Test scene.The off-spinners would be the frontrunners with South Africa set to playthree key left-handed batsmen – Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener and JacquesRudolph.”That makes a difference,” Buchanan said.”Leg spin is one of the spinning options that we need to have. It wouldbe, in a sense, nice for the ball to go the other way but that’s adecision for selectors.”That would leave MacGill out of the running, continuing a frustratingseason during which his on-field behaviour has been questioned.Other spinners around the country include Tasmania’s Daniel Marsh, NSWoff-spinner Anthony Clark, young Victorian leggie Cameron White, SouthAustralians Brad Young and Peter McIntyre and West Australian Brad Hogg.