Edgbaston curator says Hauritz will be ‘a waste’ on a seamer friendly pitch

WARWICKSHIRE - Edgbaston curator Steve Rouse has said that playing Australian off-spinner Nathan Hauritz in the third Ashes Test will be a “waste”, as the pitch tipped to be a “traditional English seamer”.

The Herald Sun quoted Rouse as saying that two weeks of rain had put his pitch three days behind schedule and Australia would be foolish not to select a four-pronged pace attack for the third Test.

He said Hauritz would be surplus to requirements at Edgbaston, with county spinners averaging about 60 runs a wicket there this season.

Rouse got under the Australians’ skin in 2005 when he tipped the pitch to be a minefield, yet England scored 407 on the first day when Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bowl.

But with rain forecast for the first three days of the Test, he said conditions would favour an all-seam attack.

“With the conditions like this, Nathan Hauritz could be a waste. Australia should play four seamers, I would think,” Rouse said.

Dropping Hauritz would be a harsh call on the off-spinner who is the equal leading wicket-taker for the series with nine wickets at 29.33.

Hauritz is being hampered by the middle finger he dislocated in the second Test at Lord’s.

Rouse said he was not playing mind games. (ANI)