LONDON, (Reuters) – Australia captain Ricky Ponting hinted yesterday he would welcome paceman Shaun Tait back into test cricket, possibly for the Ashes series against England that starts in November.
Man of the match Tait may have created a dilemma for himself and the selectors with his explosive bowling at Lord’s, taking four for 48 as Australia beat England by 42 runs in the fifth and final one-day international.
Tait, who was left out of the original 50-over squad and did not play in the first two games that Australia lost, terrorised the batsmen with his hostility and clocked the first recorded 100-mph delivery in England.
He claimed eight for 99 in his three matches as the visitors lost the series 3-2 and Ponting seems keen to give Tait, 27, another chance in tests, even though the player withdrew from first-class matches last year after a series of injuries.
“I’ve certainly considered it but I’ve been waiting to see how he gets through these one-day games,” Ponting told reporters. “There are very few guys in the world who can do what Shaun can do.
“He has got the ability to bowl a ball that can get anyone out. That’s not only (with the white ball) in one-day or Twenty20 cricket, he’s got the ability to do it with the red ball as well.
“If he has that desire … then the selectors are going to find it hard to leave him out. He has added a lot to the group. I’ll keep working on him,” added Ponting.
THREE TESTS
Tait has played three tests and taken five wickets at an average of 60.
“I haven’t thought about coming back (to tests) to be honest,” he said. “I haven’t played a four-day game for a long time now and I’m in a pretty good place right now.
“I think there have been eight or nine years I’ve played and I’ve been injured every year apart from this season so maybe the cricket I’m playing has something to do with that.
“(But) I’ve never come out and said I have retired from the longer form — you never say never. I just made a decision to stop playing to keep my body on track,” added Tait.
