- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Ricky Ponting has challenged Cameron White to take over as the country’s one-day spinner as Australia begin their first limited-overs tournament since the retirements of Brad Hogg and Adam Gilchrist.
More cricket
More players to be given breaks with busy schedule
McGrath remembers wife as extraordinary person
Hussey, Hayden in club-versus-country row
Having triumphed 2-0 in the three-Test series against the West Indies, Australia’s tour switches to one-day mode for a five-game series this week, but with the same questions surrounding the spin option in the bowling attack.
While far less headline-grabbing than the retirements of Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, Hogg’s decision to pull stumps on his international career last summer has nonetheless left a distinct hole in Australia’s one-day side.
The left-arm chinaman has been Australia’s only regular frontline spin option in one-day cricket for the past five years, with two World Cups, 123 ODIs and 156 wickets at an average of 26.84 attesting to his influence.
His retirement will likely mean part-time spinners Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds spend more time at the bowling crease in the future.
But Ponting remains hopeful White – whose leg spin bowling has for years played second fiddle to his destructive power with the bat – can at least help ease the workload of both pair by becoming a viable spin option in the truncated format.
“There’s no question that the spin bowling department in both forms of the game for us is going to be a challenge,” Ponting said.
“White’s obviously been picked as the spinner on this tour … we just need to keep exposing him to different situations and putting him under a bit more pressure … and hopefully he plays a big role for us during the series.”
White, who averages over 50 with the ball in 16 ODIs, may yet bowl more than first thought in the series, with Symonds’ back injury possibly restricting his output.
The Queenslander has been battling back spasms for close to a week, but could yet play in the first one-dayer in St Vincent on Tuesday (Wednesday AM AEST), with his condition improving considerably in recent days.
Brad Haddin was also set to play again with his broken right ring finger, with Ponting confirming allrounder Shane Watson would open the innings after his 85-ball 95 against the University of West Indies XI on Saturday launched him as the leading candidate to replace Gilchrist at the top of the order.
The West Indies will likely welcome back experienced trio Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul for game one at the Arnos Vale Sports Ground, after all three missed the team’s rain-shortened Twenty20 win over Australia in Barbados on Friday.
Gayle and Sarwan have both been battling groin injuries, with the in-form Chanderpaul rested after claiming man-of-the-series honours in Tests.
Ponting was preparing for another tough battle against the Windies, but still expected his three-time reigning world champions to win.
“It was a tough contest in the Test matches, and the shorter the format, often the tighter the competition is,” Ponting said.
“If Gayle is fit for the one-dayers he obviously adds a lot to their side.
“Their bowling group will be pretty steady for the one-dayers, but in saying that our one-day side stacks up pretty well against most around the world … so I’d expect us to win the series that’s for sure.”
Games two and three of the series are in Grenada, with the final two matches in St Kitts.
Teams:
Australia: (possible) Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Brad Haddin, Cameron White, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken.West Indies: (squad) Chris Gayle (capt), Ramnaresh Sarwan (v-c), Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Patrick Browne, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Keiron Pollard, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor.
AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES
One-Day Series
SQUADS
Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke (v-c), Brad Haddin, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, Luke Ronchi, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson, Cameron White.West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt), Ramnaresh Sarwan (v-c), Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Patrick Browne, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Keiron Pollard, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor.
SCHEDULE (all times local)
Game 1: June 24, Arnos Vale Sports Ground, St Vincent
Game 2: June 27, National Stadium, Grenada
Game 3: June 29, National Stadium, Grenada
Game 4: July 4, Warner Park, St Kitts
Game 5: July 6, Warner Park, St KittsHEAD TO HEAD
Australia v WI in ODI: Played 114, Australia 53, WI 57, Tied 2, NR 2.
In West Indies: Played: 31, Australia 15, WI 15, Tied 1
Since 2005: Played 9, Australia 6, WI 2, NR 1.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.