Hauritz is ‘locked in’ for India tour, Ashes: Ponting
By ANIMonday, August 16, 2010
MELBOURNE - Australia Test captain Ricky Ponting has boosted off-spinner Nathan Hauritz’s confidence by saying that he is “locked in” for the coming tour of India and the Ashes series.
Hauritz has taken 57 wickets at 31.82 in 15 matches and enjoyed a breakthrough summer in Australia against lowly West Indies and Pakistan in 2009-2010.
“I’ve spoken a bit to Nathan over the last couple of weeks. He has started running again which is a good sign, without pain in his foot. He started bowling again last week. Is he a lock-in? I think so. What he’s done over the last 12 or 18 months as our number one spinner has been of the highest quality,” Fox Sports quoted Ponting, as saying at the MCG.
“I’ll be doing a lot of work with him over the next few weeks. I’ll be facing a lot of him considering we’ve got (England spinner Graeme) Swann and (India spinner) Harbhajan (Singh) to confront over the next few months,” he added.
Hauritz, however, faces competition from exciting 21-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder Steve Smith.
Smith made his debut in the two-Test series against Pakistan in England in July, taking a combined 3-82 and hitting a sparkling 77 off 100 balls at Headingley.
Hauritz missed the Pakistan series with a foot injury, but has resumed running ahead of October’s two-Test series in Mohali and Bangalore.
“With him (Hauritz) back to full fitness I think he’ll get himself back into the side again,” Ponting said.
Ponting also backed under-performing No.6 batsman Marcus North, but said the Western Australia batsman needed to lift after 36 runs in two Tests against Pakistan dropped his average to 37.73 in 17 matches. (ANI)
