Combative Trump blames diversity policies after air tragedy    Palestinian born after father was jailed hugs him for the first time    FireAid: Stars take to stage for LA benefit concert    New Zealand mountain gets personhood    Singer and actress Marianne Faithfull dies at 78    Saudi King and Crown Prince express condolences over deadly mid-air collision in Washington    Saudi, Russian foreign ministers discuss regional issues in phone call    MWL chief meets Italian president in Rome; thanking him for supporting two-state solution    Ettifaq sack Steven Gerrard after poor results, appoint Saad Al-Shehri as new head coach    National Cybersecurity Authority launches 2nd phase of Postgraduate Scholarship Program    GASTAT: Real GDP records growth of 4.4% in Q4 2024    Saudi Arabia launches inaugural Art Week Riyadh on April 6-13    Saudi crown prince and European Council president discuss over phone ways to enhance cooperation    NEOM's THE LINE set to begin vertical construction by end of year    HP is redefining the Future of Work with AI    Mona Lisa to be moved as part of major Louvre overhaul    Neymar bids heartfelt goodbye to Al-Hilal: I will always support you    Al-Nassr announces transfer of Brazilian forward Talisca to Fenerbahçe    SFDA chief rules out plan to ban sale of cigarettes or vapes    Al Hilal and Neymar mutually agree to part ways    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Australia delays decision on bowling combination
By John Mehaffey
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 08 - 07 - 2009

Australia will decide on its bowling combination for the first Ashes Test against England starting on Wednesday (1000GMT) after studying pitch and ground conditions at its final practice session.
The Australians were forced on Tuesday to face life without fast bowler Brett Lee who was a certainty to return to the side following an injury break after ripping through the England Lions last week. Lee pulled out of the first Test after a scan revealed a slight tear in his rib area.
“Brett obviously bowled beautifully last week and I think that everybody that saw he was impressed with what he did,” captain Ricky Ponting told a news conference on Tuesday. “It's a relatively minor injury and we haven't written him out of playing in the second Test. We are all keeping our fingers crossed and hopefully he will back sooner rather than later.”
Unsettled weather is forecast in Wales for the remainder of the week and there were a couple of showers on Tuesday morning before the Australians arrived at the ground for net practice.
Ponting said the selectors had not yet settled on a team but would discuss their options after practice and decide on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. “We have a number of different ways we could go,” he said.
By contrast, England captain Andrew Strauss said the home team had already decided on its final XI. “Obviously we won't be announcing until the morning but we are pretty clear in our own minds,” he said. “There has been some rain around but it looks a pretty good wicket.
“I think there will be probably be a little bit in it for the seamers and good scoring opportunities for the batters and it will probably turn towards the end.”
A moist atmosphere and heavy cloud cover will encourage conventional swing and may persuade Australia to play its four remaining pace bowlers Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Stuart Clark and Ben Hilfenhaus and omit the specialist spinner Nathan Hauritz. Off-spinner Hauritz has taken just two wickets in two warmup matches at a cost of 260 runs. If England has decided to include Graham Onions in a four-pronged pace attack, left-arm spinner Monty Panesar is the likely omission along with reserve batsman Ian Bell.
After all the hype before Australia start its Ashes defense in a series delayed by the Twenty20 World Cup, both captains seemed happy to stop talking and start playing. “I think we have all the bases covered, there's not going to be any massive Churchillian speeches,” Strauss said.
Ponting, 34, who is making his fourth tour of England, said the Australian team had been sharing memories of its first Ashes experiences.


Clic here to read the story from its source.