NEWS
OTHER SPORTS
DIARY
PEOPLE
MATCH REPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Border cools down Warne comeback bid

Former Australian cricket captain and current selector Allan Border says star spinner Shane Warne may be left out of the first three Ashes Tests against England for his own good.

Border doused Warne's optimism that he might recover from a shoulder injury in time to play in the opening Test in Brisbane from November 20.

Writing in a syndicated newspaper column today, Border said Warne would likely miss the first two Tests to prevent him causing further damage to his injured shoulder.

"Given an incident-free comeback to first class cricket and a spotless report from the specialists, the best-case scenario is for Warne to return in the third Test in Adelaide from December 15,'' Border wrote. "But, in my view, the more realistic date is the fourth Test in Melbourne on December 26.''

Warne bowled, for the first time since surgery in April, during a district cricket match last weekend. He got a wicket with his third ball and finished with 1-13 from six overs.

He had hoped to make Victoria's team for the Sheffield Shield match being played against New South Wales in Melbourne, but was left out and has one more Shield chance before the first Test.

But Border's statements were the strongest indication yet that the selectors would take a hard line on Warne.

"Only last week, there were headlines about Shane bowling 30 balls in the nets,'' Border wrote. "You simply cannot go from bowling 30 balls at moderate intensity to delivering 80 Test match overs at maximum intensity within three weeks.''

Border said he had spoken to Warne on the phone and the match-winning leg-spinner had raised the possibility of a return for the first Test.

"I have said to him, you have some serious talking to do to convince me that would be possible,'' Border wrote.

Border said that Australia has begun to adopt a tougher stance on injured players.

We want him for five to seven years,'' said Border. "One extra month on the sidelines is not a big price to pay.''

Warne has dominated England since his first ball in Ashes conflict, a leg-spinner which knocked over Mike Gatting's off stump.

The England team management this time round has made a special effort to counter Warne, handing out an extensive document detailing the art of leg-spin. The tourists brought former Australian Test bowler Peter Philpott on tour as their spin doctor and shortly after arrival, the squad had a clinic where they were shown how to bowl like Warne.

Australia meanwhile unveiled another promising leg-spinner in Pakistan last month, when Stuart McGill took nine wickets in Australia's decisive first Test victory in Rawalpindi.

UNI