S. Australian keeper Manou called up as replacement for Paine
By ANIThursday, October 29, 2009
ADELAIDE - South Australian wicketkeeper Graham Manou has been rushed to India to make his one-day international debut in place of injured Tim Paine.
Manou was preparing to captain the Redbacks in a Sheffield Shield game against Victoria from Friday, but his plans changed when Paine busted the ring finger on his left hand while attempting to glove a Peter Siddle bouncer during last night’s defeat to India in Nagpur.
Paine is on his way home to recuperate while Manou will arrive in Delhi in time for the next game on Saturday, reports The Age.
Manou, who made his Test debut at Edgbaston in July after first-choice ‘keeper Brad Haddin broke his finger during the warm-up, has a Cricket Australia contract and beat Queensland’s Chris Hartley and Victoria’s Matthew Wade to the plane to the Indian capital.
The selectors were unable to consider Haddin because he is yet to test his surgically repaired finger in first-class cricket.
Haddin is primed to return to domestic cricket with NSW in a one-day match against Western Australia on Sunday, but he was deprived of a meaningful hit-out with his state’s second XI this week because the game in suburban Sydney was abandoned due to poor weather.
Having kept wicket and batted for a short time for his grade club Eastern Suburbs last weekend, Haddin is due to meet his physiotherapist today and is targeting a return to international cricket in the first Test against the West Indies at the ‘Gabba from November 26.
Manou is the second player called over to India as the Australians suffer a heavy injury toll, with NSW all-rounder Moises Henriques on standby on account of a hamstring strain to James Hopes. Brett Lee (elbow) and Mitchell Johnson (ankle) are also battling ailments. (ANI)
