SA Footy

Dizzy spinning after recall
April 5, 2006

VETERAN fast bowler Jason Gillespie has been recalled to the Australia Test squad for the tour of Bangladesh, along with New South Wales batsman Phil Jaques and Queensland paceman Mitchell Johnson.

The trio replace injured players Justin Langer (concussion), Shaun Tait (back) and Michael Kasprowicz (back), who will all return to Australia with injuries sustained during the Test series in South Africa, which concluded yesterday.

Gillespie has been out of favour since being dumped during last year's unsuccessful Ashes series in England.

Jaques gets another chance following his sole appearance in the baggy green cap when he replaced Langer for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in December, while selectors view Johnson, 24, as a player of the future.

Johnson could debut in Bangladesh.

Outgoing chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said the decision to bring the three injured players back to Australia was forced because the Bangladesh series started so soon, with the first Test beginning on Sunday.

"Our advice was that the players would be definitely unavailable for the first Test and maybe the second, too," Hohns said.

"Given that it is only a two-Test series, we thought it would be in the best interests of the players concerned to give them a full recovery.

"We also felt it was important to have a squad in Bangladesh who were all available for the first Test.

"The three players who are coming into the squad have performed very well in domestic cricket and deserve their opportunity to tour."



Great to see Dizzy recalled but one has to question whether producing results against Bangledesh will inspire selectors to pick him for the Ashes. Although, these are the last two tests Australia will play before the Ashes begin, so he has a golden opportunity to push for inclusion. Hard to see that, there is McGrath, Kaspa and Tait ahead of him, and probably Johnson.

Good on him

Hope he takes his chance with both hands

He and Johnson must still be ahead of Bracken and Bichel

About time. Should never have been dropped, sure he had a bad tour of England, but so did other players and they were not dropped.

I've loved watching every minute of Dizzy's career, which lets face it has been exceptional ... He was one of the worlds best pacemen during his time and maintained those endearing Aussie qualities that have made him one of the few "characters" of the game, the types we all love to watch and urge on!

That said, am I the only one who thinks Dizzy's time has been and gone?

Constance_Perm wrote:I've loved watching every minute of Dizzy's career, which lets face it has been exceptional ... He was one of the worlds best pacemen during his time and maintained those endearing Aussie qualities that have made him one of the few "characters" of the game, the types we all love to watch and urge on!

That said, am I the only one who thinks Dizzy's time has been and gone?

I see your point CP,however,as I have said before,with our bowling stocks as thin as they are I think it is imperitive that Dizzy is in our Test team,or at worst on the tour.

well, if they only play 1 spinner, warney, then dizzy may get a chance or it could be johnson...but...come the ashes series, if this line up is not featured (mcgrath, lee, clarke, warne) then ill be a monkeys uncle...

If they need 3 pacemen it will be Lee, Clark & Johnson. Dizzy's only there as a back-up, but I'd love to see him get a chance. I think he still has something to offer. He took 40 Pura Cup wickets in 2005-06, and anyone who does that can surely get Test wickets as well.

MightyEagles wrote:About time. Should never have been dropped, sure he had a bad tour of England, but so did other players and they were not dropped.

Sorry Eags but here is ol REB disagreeing with you again (you must be getting sick of this by now, sorry!). Dizzy was bowling absolute carp in England and I think Australia erred by not dropping him sooner during the tour. However, he has done the hard yards and has earnt a recall.

Nah...it's a bloody Redback selection conspiracy that's what this!! Fair dinkum, Hohnsy pulls the pin and within a week there's a Redback in the side!!

regards,

REB

granted diz wasnt playing well but I could think of 9 others that were just as bad...lets face it only lee and warnie played well and the rest could of been dropped if form was an Issue

you cant drop a whole team - you can only find some scapegoats if you want to make a statement....thats what they did.

i dont think he will play the first test because that pitch turns like therers no tommorow

LionsGalSA wrote:granted diz wasnt playing well but I could think of 9 others that were just as bad...lets face it only lee and warnie played well and the rest could of been dropped if form was an Issue

you cant drop a whole team - you can only find some scapegoats if you want to make a statement....thats what they did.

i dont think he will play the first test because that pitch turns like therers no tommorow

Kasper and Tait arnt playing so if Dizzy wont play in the first test who will take the new ball with Lee.......Symonds??? i dont think so.

Bowling line up for the first test will be Lee & Clark opening, Warne & MacGill to send down their tweakers and Symonds as backup, either bowling medium or his quick offies.

Whoops I forgot about clark, sorry LionsGal i would say you are right and I am wrong.