May 18  
Australia name squad for Pakistan one-dayers

MELBOURNE: Australian Cricket Board (ACB) Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland on Friday announced that the National Selection Panel (NSP) has chosen the squad for TOWER Super Challenge-II, the June One-day International series between Pakistan and Australia in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Victorian all-rounder Ian Harvey and young Queensland off-spinner Nathan Hauritz are the only two players left out from the Australian squad that defeated South Africa 5-1 in South Africa last month.

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said the 13-man squad must provide the hosts with sufficient depth for the three-match series. "In recent years Pakistan have proved to be a tough opponent at One-day International level, so we had to think long and hard about choosing the squad that will help us win this series," Hohns said.

"Given the success we enjoyed in South Africa, the selected squad has barely changed, however the series is short, so 13 players should be adequate."

Hohns said the decision to overlook Hauritz resulted from the need to reduce the size of the squad. "Nathan is still very much in the mix for selection later in the year, as his form in South Africa was encouraging. He has a very bright future, but we felt selecting one spinner in Shane Warne was enough for this series."

TOWER Super Challenge-II will take place under the roof at Melbourne's Colonial Stadium on June 12 and 15 and at the Gabba in Brisbane on the 19th.

Five players selected in the squad did not take part in the inaugural Super Challenge series in August 2000, which saw Australia take on South Africa in the first international series played in an enclosed stadium.

Andrew Bichel, Matthew Hayden, Darren Lehmann, Jimmy Maher and Shane Watson will all play indoors at the Colonial Stadium for the first time.Watson, 20, said he was excited by the opportunity of playing indoors. 

"The last six months have been a whirlwind. Touring South Africa with the Australian side was the highlight of my career to date, so I just can't wait to play international cricket again.

"I have only experienced Colonial Stadium as a spectator, so to play there will be a great thrill, particularly as it will be the first time I have represented Australia in front of a home crowd," he said.

The umpires for the series are Russell Tiffin (Zimbabwe), and Australians Daryl Harper, Darrell Hair and Simon Taufel. Former West Indian captain Clive Lloyd will be the ICC match referee.

Squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Adam Gilchrist, Michael Bevan, Andrew Bichel, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hayden, Brett Lee, Darren Lehmann, Jimmy Maher, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Shane Watson. Stephen Bernard (team manager), John Buchanan (coach), Errol Alcott (physio), Jock Campbell (physical performance manager) and Mike Walsh (assistant team manager/cricket analyst).