Australia is enduring another chaotic preparation for a key cricketing event after selectors gambled on fitness and form for the one-day World Cup.
Victorian paceman John Hastings was the bolter in a 15-man squad named on Tuesday which included evergreen batsman Mike Hussey despite him tearing a hamstring tendon from the bone.
Within hours of being named, Hussey had surgery and was withdrawn from the squad for the remainder of the limited overs series against England, replaced by Shaun Marsh for at least the next three games.
Injury prone fast bowlers Shaun Tait and Brett Lee were included in the World Cup squad, with wicketkeeper Tim Paine joining first choice gloveman Brad Haddin.
But left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty was overlooked and “shafted” by selectors, his Tasmanian captain George Bailey said.
Off-spinner Nathan Hauritz is the only specialist spinner for the tournament in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh which starts on February 19.
Australia’s humiliating 3-1 Ashes defeat was largely blamed upon poor preparation, and the World Cup campaign could suffer the same fate.
Captain Ricky Ponting (broken finger) is unlikely to play a game before the tournament begins while Hussey is in grave doubt to play at all after suffering his injury in Australia’s one-day win over England on Sunday.
“It is a severe hamstring injury, which we need to assess, and a final decision will be made closer to the departure date,” chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.
Ponting hasn’t played since the Boxing Day Test against England and was reluctant to declare himself a certain starter for Australia’s World Cup opener against Zimbabwe on February 21.
“I’m hoping to be right for the tournament,” said Ponting, whose broken little finger remains in a splint.
Ponting maintained Australia, seeking an unprecedented fourth consecutive World Cup, were still the team to beat.
“It’s quite clear we are the number one ranked team in the world,” he said.
“… Our World Cup record speaks for itself and we have a really good balance of youth and experience in the squad to succeed in the tournament.”
Hastings was chosen ahead of fellow Victorian paceman Peter Siddle, but Doherty’s omission perplexed his state captain Bailey.
“It’s hard to know what to tell Xavier, his performances speak for themselves, they’re outstanding and have been for two or three years,” Bailey told AAP.
“He’s clearly Australia’s best performed one-day spinner, domestically.
“He’s obviously performed really well in the few chances he’s had with Australia, and then he’s just basically shafted.
“He (Doherty) gets told mixed messages about what he’s supposed to be doing, and then when he’s told he’s not in the team, he’s given very little direction to come back for us.
“And this is not just Xavier, but I think all players that are dropped out of that Australian squad.
“I think communication from the top to players coming back is pretty ordinary.”
Australian squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine, Steve Smith, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Cameron White.
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