Warne back for Sri Lanka tour ?

[NickiSlater]

I really really hope so!
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Warne may return for Sri Lanka tour

Wisden Cricinfo staff

Shane Warne may return to the Australian squad for their three-Test series in Sri Lanka next March, chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns hinted on Monday. Warne's 12-month suspension for taking a banned diuretic ends on February 10, just before the Australian team heads off for a five-match one-day international series in Sri Lanka.

Warne won't be available for selection in the one-day team but, with the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle not starting until March 8, he has time to state his case for selection in a four-day Sheffield Shield game for Victoria against Western Australia from February 16.

Hohns said the selection decision will be difficult. In an interview on Channel Nine on Monday he said, "Everyone expects Shane to come back and bowl well and I would have thought you wouldn't just lose that ability in 12 months."

Hohns added, "As far as regaining his position in the Australia side ... there's a period of time there before we pick the Test match side to go to Sri Lanka where Shane will have the chance to play a couple of games for Victoria.

Then we have to make the assessment whether he's bowling well enough to be included in that squad and of course we've also got Stuart MacGill, who is performing very, very well for Australia. It's a very difficult thing." Hohns has been in touch with Warne during the past few months. "He wants to play as soon as he possibly can but he understands he has to get a little more cricket under his belt as well."

[pies4ever]

i dont think warne should be a automatic walk in to the side especially if mcgill is performing well for us when the team is picked for the sri lanka tour,i dont know what you all think..


cheers bryan..!!

[Donny]

MacGill 'on way out'
By Sam Lienert and Richard Earle
December 11, 2003

STUART MacGILL expects the series against India to be the last of his career.

The Australian leg-spinner is resigned to being replaced by Shane Warne for next year's tour of Sri Lanka – and then never playing for his country again.

With selectors set to delay the naming of the Test squad for the March series against Sri Lanka to give Warne time to get match practice after his return from suspension, MacGill believes he can do nothing to keep Warne out.

Rather then treating the remaining three Tests against India as his last chance to earn himself a permanent position, MacGill said he was looking at it as the likely finale to his career.

"If Shane does come back for the first Test in Sri Lanka that means I've got three Tests to go and that's it, I probably won't play again," he said yesterday.

"That means take what you can get when you can get it and any wicket I get from now until Sri Lanka is a bonus.

"It's completely out of my control. There's only certain arguments that you could put forward in terms of staking a claim and I'm struggling to find any other area I can improve on."

MacGill said he would carry no bitterness towards Warne or selectors if, as he expected, he was overlooked for the Sri Lankan tour.

"If I thought Shane Warne wasn't a great cricket player and he played 100 Test matches and I only played 25 that would be a real bummer," MacGill said.

But he is, in my opinion, the greatest wrist-spinner to walk the planet, so if you compare me with him it makes me look good."

MacGill, who took 4-86 in India's first innings of 409 in the opening Brisbane Test, said the series was a test of his ability to produce subtle variation because Indian batsmen were too adept at playing spin to be simply beaten by turn.

"People talk about how much I turn the ball; in this particular series that will be inconsequential and maybe only the tail will be deceived off the pitch," he said.

"A great player of spin bowling will only be deceived by a spin bowler if there's a subtle variation.

"It will really test me out because, generally speaking, I'm not all that subtle."

Although MacGill reckons the selectors will overlook him for Sri Lanka, he says if he and Warne were given the opportunity to bowl in tandem it could be a "shock and awe" union.

"If we are both bowling at our peak it's got to be tough," he said. "It would be good for the crowd because it would be runs or wickets and it fits in with the way the Australians are playing.

"I certainly endorse it. We enjoy playing together and it will work."

Of critics who oppose a pairing with Warne, MacGill said: "They don't spend any time thinking about what they are saying.

"Just because we don't live in each other's pockets doesn't mean we don't get on."

[Donny]

A somewhat realistic but also disappointing attitude from MacGilla.

I'd be saying, "OK, Warney, I'm in and you've gotta get me out !! I'm gonna bowl my heart out in these next three Tests."

For the Sri Lanka tour, we need 3 spinners anyway so I find his attitude pretty negative for such an aggressive on field cricketer.

[commonwombat]

Donny,

Yr sentiments are admirable but McGill, for all his less than admirable personal qualities, hqas a very firm grip of reality.

Warne has unparalleled control for a leggie whereas McGill wil always be liable to ese the pressure with the stupendous ball being followed by one that should be despatched into the neighbouring electorate.

Would you not dispute that McGill is an utter passenger with both bat and ball. Three spinners on the Sri Lanka tour is plausible but would they all be specialists?? Would they take the alternate options of Hogg with Katich as back-up? Playing he and the human headline together is possible but lower on the list of probabilities.

[Donny]

I was merely pointing out MacGill's attitude is a bit defeatist for such an aggressive bowler but, once again, the difference between these two bowlers is exaggerated.

The perception is Warney is a Ferrari and MacGill is a Kingswood. It may surprise people when they examine their stats. It usually does.

Whenever I bring their relative stats up in conversation, the reaction is usually something like, "Oh, I didn't realise"

MacGill takes 5.07 wickets per Test. Warne: 4.58.

MacGill was quicker to 50 Test wickets than Warne.

MacGill's strike rate is a wicket every 52 balls. Warne's is one every 61 balls.

Warne's average is very good for a spinner at 25.7 and most cricket followers would probably think the 'wayward' MacGill would have an average over 30. Not so. It's only a touch higher than Warney's at 26.4

Warne is a tighter bowler but, again, the difference isn't enormous. He goes for 2.53 per over. MacGill ? 3.04

Warne bowls a maiden every 3.5 overs and MacGill, one every 4.5 overs.

So if we put them into average bowling figures per Test innings, this is what emerges:

Warne 24 overs 7 maidens 2.3 wickets for 59 runs
MacGill 22 overs 5 maidens 2.5 wickets for 67 runs

I would always pick Warney ahead of MacGilla but does anyone else find it interesting that MacGill has a better strike rate and takes more wickets per Test than the (generally thought of as) greatest spinner - some say bowler - in the history of Test cricket ?

[JLC]

Warne will be back in for sure as he is a champion.

MacGill is a bit of a sook on and off the field. He lets his temper get the better of him too easily and that is to his deteriment.

jlc

[Sultan of spin]

I've seen this comparason between Warne and McGill many times and yes their stats are quite similar but as we all know stats can be deceiving. Warney's stats have include a couple of beltings from India in India and most of McGill's tests have been against the lower teams ie Bangers & Zimbo's or middle ranked teams that don't ply spin bowling well ie Windies & poms. If Warney had played all his cricket against these teams and hadn't been belted in India a few times his stats would be far superior to McGill.


I don't think there is any doubt that if Warney is fit he is clearly the number one option and I actually respect McGill for being realistic about the situation. Although I think instead of throwing in the towel he should push harder for the dual spin option which would be a realistic option on the slower ski lankan pitches.