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Johnson, Clark and Tait named in Australian Ashes squad
by CricketArchive staff reporter


Player:MG Johnson, SR Clark, SW Tait
Event:England in Australia 2006/07

DateLine: 16th November 2006

 

Australia have included fast bowlers Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait in a 13-man squad to keep England guessing ahead of next week's opening Ashes Test in Brisbane. The trio is contesting the third fast bowling spot behind established new-ball pair Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee for the Gabba Test, starting on November 23. The Australians also named all-rounder Shane Watson, opening the possibility that the home team may unleash four fast bowlers on the England batsmen in the first of five Tests on the lively Gabba wicket. "The inclusion of extra pacemen in the squad reflects one of the strongest starts to the domestic season of young talent in recent memory," chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said in a Cricket Australia statement Thursday. "It reflects the development of Mitchell Johnson in the past 12 months, some eye-catching fast bowling from Shaun Tait and the performance of Stuart Clark in South Africa and since his return from injury domestically." Clark said he was unsure if he would get the final call-up, but liked the thought of playing his first home Test at the pace-friendly Gabba.

 

"My Pura Cup form's not all that bad," he said. "I'm looking forward to getting out there, it's not a bad place for a fast bowler, it's better than Sydney." Queensland left-armer Johnson said: "It would be an absolute dream come true if it (Test debut) happened (on his home pitch). I have played at the Gabba many times now and know the conditions." Hilditch said the squad reflected the strength of Australian cricket.

 

"We've picked a very strong squad which reflects the fact that Australia has been successful at international level for some time," he said. "We are showing faith in those players who have contributed to that success, while at the same time injecting some youth into the squad with the inclusions of Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait. We believe this is a squad capable of winning back the Ashes." Hilditch said the selection of Watson gave the Australian team the option of playing a bowling all-rounder. "We see his inclusion to the Test squad as an exciting development for Australian cricket," he said. "Shane has an outstanding first-class record with the bat, averaging over 45 and his bowling ability gives us the flexibility in our attack that we have been looking for." Despite obvious comparisons with England's star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, Watson says their roles are poles apart. "I am always going to be compared to him, one because he is such a great player but also because we do a very similar thing," Watson said. "But the roles that me and him play are very different. He is a superstar in their team, whereas I am there to contribute really well within the superstars around me." Hilditch said the selection of the final 11 players would be a tough decision and dependent on assessing the weather and pitch conditions closer to the Test. Ricky Ponting, who holds the unwanted distinction of being the Australian skipper who lost the Ashes to England in last year's series in England, said he was excited by the bowling talent he had at his disposal. "We have got a well-documented experienced team going into this series but I think historically what you want in any team is a good mix of youth and experience and I think we've certainly got that," Ponting said in the statement. "Shane Watson's cricket over the last 12 months has come along in leaps and bounds, he's got a terrific record at first-class level with the bat and his bowling has really taken off, probably since (fast bowling coach) Troy Cooley has been around the group. It's really exciting as far as I'm concerned to have that depth of fast bowling talent around the country at the moment. You look at Tait, Johnson and Clark who have all started this season off extremely well and are all putting their hands up for selection."

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