Danny
19-04-2005, 11:14 PM
Australia looks to 2007
By Jim Morton
April 19, 2005
FOXSPORTS
AUSTRALIA has officially started the process of preparing for the 2007 cricket World Cup by restocking its list of contracted players with an injection of youth.
Six 30-somethings headed by Darren Lehmann were cut from Cricket Australia's annual 25-man list today, replaced by five players 27 and under plus improving Victorian seamer Mick Lewis, 30.
Daniel Cullen and Cameron White, both 21, James Hopes (26), Brad Haddin (27) and Nathan Bracken (27) were included, with overall under-25 contingent now standing at five.
Brad Williams (30), Martin Love (31), Jimmy Maher (31), Ian Harvey (33) and Matthew Elliott (33) were left off the list with Lehmann, sounding a likely death knell to their international careers.
The dearth of young bloods has been seen as a concern despite Australia's dominance in both forms of the game in recent years.
Only three of the 13-man squad that thumped New Zealand 2-0 in last month's Test series (Michael Clarke, Brett Lee and Simon Katich) are in their 20s.
Although unfazed by the ageing nature of the world champions, chief selector Trevor Hohns admitted the new contracts showed his national panel had an eye on another World Cup defence in the Caribbean in 2007.
"It's probably a little bit of a start in that process," Hohns said.
"We haven't really started to prepare properly for that but probably in the next season or so we'll certainly start to sift out who we think will be at the 2007 World Cup and who we possibly think won't make it.
"Whilst our Test match side and one-day side are performing well and beating everybody age certainly isn't an issue but as our players get older it's something we have to be mindful of.
"And these young fellows now in the list, we believe they deserve to be there."
The national selectors sat down to rank the country's top 25 players after naming their Ashes squads earlier this month.
Evergreen paceman Glenn McGrath is understood to be the biggest mover in the rankings, chosen in the top three after being rated at No.15 after an unconvincing return from ankle surgery midway through last year.
Captain Ricky Ponting and vice-captain Adam Gilchrist also head the list, which takes into account the form of players in the past 12 months and their likelihood of selection in the coming year in both forms of the game.
Hohns paid tribute to Lehmann, 35, whose card was marked when overlooked for the trans-Tasman tour in February.
He labelled the South Australian as a "wonderful player" and the perfect skipper to help off-spinner Cullen get through the expected second-year blues after taking a remarkable 43 Pura Cup scalps in his rookie year for SA.
"A young off-spinner in his first season and taking 43 wickets is really unheard of," Hohns said. "There's a great amount of talent there.
"Sure next season may be a little bit harder for him but we certainly want to encourage young fellows like that.
"We see him having quite a good future, there's no doubt and he's got the right captain there to look after him."
Cullen, who has modelled himself on Pakistani tweaker Saqlain Mushtaq, knows he has a tough task to continue the form.
"People (batsmen) might sit back on you more or attack you more and they know more about you," he said.
Contracted players
Nathan Bracken, NSW, 27
Michael Clarke, NSW, 24
Daniel Cullen, SA, 21
Adam Gilchrist, WA, 33
Jason Gillespie, SA, 30
Matthew Hayden, Qld, 33
Brad Haddin, NSW, 27
Brad Hodge, Vic, 30
Brad Hogg, WA, 34
James Hopes, Qld, 26
Michael Hussey, WA, 29
Michael Kasprowicz, Qld, 33
Simon Katich, NSW, 29
Justin Langer, WA, 34
Brett Lee, NSW, 28
Michael Lewis, Vic, 30
Stuart MacGill, NSW, 34
Damien Martyn, WA, 33
Glenn McGrath, NSW, 35
Ricky Ponting, Tas, 30
Andrew Symonds, Qld, 29
Shaun Tait, SA, 22
Shane Warne, Vic, 35
Shane Watson, Qld, 23
Cameron White, Vic, 21.
By Jim Morton
April 19, 2005
FOXSPORTS
AUSTRALIA has officially started the process of preparing for the 2007 cricket World Cup by restocking its list of contracted players with an injection of youth.
Six 30-somethings headed by Darren Lehmann were cut from Cricket Australia's annual 25-man list today, replaced by five players 27 and under plus improving Victorian seamer Mick Lewis, 30.
Daniel Cullen and Cameron White, both 21, James Hopes (26), Brad Haddin (27) and Nathan Bracken (27) were included, with overall under-25 contingent now standing at five.
Brad Williams (30), Martin Love (31), Jimmy Maher (31), Ian Harvey (33) and Matthew Elliott (33) were left off the list with Lehmann, sounding a likely death knell to their international careers.
The dearth of young bloods has been seen as a concern despite Australia's dominance in both forms of the game in recent years.
Only three of the 13-man squad that thumped New Zealand 2-0 in last month's Test series (Michael Clarke, Brett Lee and Simon Katich) are in their 20s.
Although unfazed by the ageing nature of the world champions, chief selector Trevor Hohns admitted the new contracts showed his national panel had an eye on another World Cup defence in the Caribbean in 2007.
"It's probably a little bit of a start in that process," Hohns said.
"We haven't really started to prepare properly for that but probably in the next season or so we'll certainly start to sift out who we think will be at the 2007 World Cup and who we possibly think won't make it.
"Whilst our Test match side and one-day side are performing well and beating everybody age certainly isn't an issue but as our players get older it's something we have to be mindful of.
"And these young fellows now in the list, we believe they deserve to be there."
The national selectors sat down to rank the country's top 25 players after naming their Ashes squads earlier this month.
Evergreen paceman Glenn McGrath is understood to be the biggest mover in the rankings, chosen in the top three after being rated at No.15 after an unconvincing return from ankle surgery midway through last year.
Captain Ricky Ponting and vice-captain Adam Gilchrist also head the list, which takes into account the form of players in the past 12 months and their likelihood of selection in the coming year in both forms of the game.
Hohns paid tribute to Lehmann, 35, whose card was marked when overlooked for the trans-Tasman tour in February.
He labelled the South Australian as a "wonderful player" and the perfect skipper to help off-spinner Cullen get through the expected second-year blues after taking a remarkable 43 Pura Cup scalps in his rookie year for SA.
"A young off-spinner in his first season and taking 43 wickets is really unheard of," Hohns said. "There's a great amount of talent there.
"Sure next season may be a little bit harder for him but we certainly want to encourage young fellows like that.
"We see him having quite a good future, there's no doubt and he's got the right captain there to look after him."
Cullen, who has modelled himself on Pakistani tweaker Saqlain Mushtaq, knows he has a tough task to continue the form.
"People (batsmen) might sit back on you more or attack you more and they know more about you," he said.
Contracted players
Nathan Bracken, NSW, 27
Michael Clarke, NSW, 24
Daniel Cullen, SA, 21
Adam Gilchrist, WA, 33
Jason Gillespie, SA, 30
Matthew Hayden, Qld, 33
Brad Haddin, NSW, 27
Brad Hodge, Vic, 30
Brad Hogg, WA, 34
James Hopes, Qld, 26
Michael Hussey, WA, 29
Michael Kasprowicz, Qld, 33
Simon Katich, NSW, 29
Justin Langer, WA, 34
Brett Lee, NSW, 28
Michael Lewis, Vic, 30
Stuart MacGill, NSW, 34
Damien Martyn, WA, 33
Glenn McGrath, NSW, 35
Ricky Ponting, Tas, 30
Andrew Symonds, Qld, 29
Shaun Tait, SA, 22
Shane Warne, Vic, 35
Shane Watson, Qld, 23
Cameron White, Vic, 21.