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.