AS NATHAN Hauritz made a bid to play in the fifth Test by enlisting Saqlain Mushtaq's, Ricky Ponting insisted it would be hard to change a winning team. However, the Australian captain said conditions would ultimately dictate who played in the Ashes-deciding Test at The Oval tomorrow night, giving Hauritz a chance to replace seamer Stuart Clark.
Saqlain, the Pakistan spin great, has been working with Hauritz at training at The Oval this week.
The New South Wales spinner said Saqlain was his idol and put off-spin bowling on the map for his generation.
"We mainly spoke about the philosophy of spin bowling, trying to work out different ways to deceive batsmen," Hauritz told Cricket Australia TV.
"There wasn't really any great technical work spoken about. He obviously showed me different grips holding the ball and how he bowled the doosra. It was just great to speak to someone who was so passionate about spin bowling."
But Saqlain told Hauritz he needed to work on the doosra before bowling it in a match.
Saqlain, who is credited with inventing the doosra, took 208 wickets in 49 Tests from 1995 to 2004.
He and Hauritz had been trying to catch up for some time without success.
"Nathan and I have been chatting on the phone and he invited me to come down," said Saqlain, who knows the conditions at The Oval well as a former county player for Surrey.
"Generally we just chatted about the tactics and the plan to batsmen and his grip. He's a very talented guy."
Hauritz took 10 wickets in the first three Ashes Tests before being dropped at Headingley for Clark, who was outstanding. Clark set up Australia's 2 1/2-day victory with an extraordinary first-session spell of 3-7 from 6.5 overs.
While delighted all his bowlers, including the fit-again Brett Lee, were in great shape after the two-day tour match in Canterbury at the weekend, Ponting insisted his improving young trio of fast bowlers would not change.
"Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson got five wickets each in the last Test and Ben Hilfenhaus has been the pick of our bowlers for the whole trip, so that's what's going to make selection difficult," Ponting said.
"It's going to be hard to change a team that played so well in the last Test, but if there are selection issues where we have to match players to conditions, then we'll have to look at that."
Ponting said simplifying the instructions given to his young fast bowlers had improved their performance.
"Instead of thinking about things and trying to execute things in a certain way, we've given them pretty simple instructions," Ponting said.
"We've benefited more from doing that than cluttering their mind up. That's going to be the way that I think is going to work best for us."
Coach Tim Nielsen said yesterday Lee would come into the equation if the pitch was dry and would scuff the ball, aiding reverse swing.
"I think if it does reverse, he will very much put his hand up," Nielsen said.
Source
Saqlain, the Pakistan spin great, has been working with Hauritz at training at The Oval this week.
The New South Wales spinner said Saqlain was his idol and put off-spin bowling on the map for his generation.
"We mainly spoke about the philosophy of spin bowling, trying to work out different ways to deceive batsmen," Hauritz told Cricket Australia TV.
"There wasn't really any great technical work spoken about. He obviously showed me different grips holding the ball and how he bowled the doosra. It was just great to speak to someone who was so passionate about spin bowling."
But Saqlain told Hauritz he needed to work on the doosra before bowling it in a match.
Saqlain, who is credited with inventing the doosra, took 208 wickets in 49 Tests from 1995 to 2004.
He and Hauritz had been trying to catch up for some time without success.
"Nathan and I have been chatting on the phone and he invited me to come down," said Saqlain, who knows the conditions at The Oval well as a former county player for Surrey.
"Generally we just chatted about the tactics and the plan to batsmen and his grip. He's a very talented guy."
Hauritz took 10 wickets in the first three Ashes Tests before being dropped at Headingley for Clark, who was outstanding. Clark set up Australia's 2 1/2-day victory with an extraordinary first-session spell of 3-7 from 6.5 overs.
While delighted all his bowlers, including the fit-again Brett Lee, were in great shape after the two-day tour match in Canterbury at the weekend, Ponting insisted his improving young trio of fast bowlers would not change.
"Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson got five wickets each in the last Test and Ben Hilfenhaus has been the pick of our bowlers for the whole trip, so that's what's going to make selection difficult," Ponting said.
"It's going to be hard to change a team that played so well in the last Test, but if there are selection issues where we have to match players to conditions, then we'll have to look at that."
Ponting said simplifying the instructions given to his young fast bowlers had improved their performance.
"Instead of thinking about things and trying to execute things in a certain way, we've given them pretty simple instructions," Ponting said.
"We've benefited more from doing that than cluttering their mind up. That's going to be the way that I think is going to work best for us."
Coach Tim Nielsen said yesterday Lee would come into the equation if the pitch was dry and would scuff the ball, aiding reverse swing.
"I think if it does reverse, he will very much put his hand up," Nielsen said.
Source
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