Being axed “was definitely devastating, but I’ve moved on”: Hauritz

SYDNEY - Australian spinner Nathan Hauritz has admitted it was ‘devastating’ for him to absorb the news of his removal from the Test squad for the Ashes, but added that he had “moved on from there.”

“It was definitely devastating on Saturday but I’ve moved on from there,” The Age quoted Hauritz, as saying.

“It’s going to be hard to watch bits and pieces (of the Ashes) but the sun came up, I’m still alive and there’s worse things going on than being dropped,” he added.

When asked whether he had been denied the best chance to bowl his way into form at home, Hauritz said he was not looking for anyone to blame but himself.

“I think the problems stemmed from before that, just leaking runs over in India didn’t help, and I didn’t bowl much coming back here, but every opportunity I get to bowl I’ve still got to showcase that and if I’m only bowling one over you’ve still got to bowl well,” he said.

“I’m not the guy who looks after that sort of thing, I think I’ve been handled fine, the communication’s been clear, and the ball’s in my hands, if I had been bowling well I would’ve been playing,” Hauritz added.

Hauritz’s successor Xavier Doherty will become the ninth Australian slow bowler tried in Tests since Shane Warne’s retirement in 2007, but Hauritz deflected questions about how the spin department had been handled since that time.

“I think he retired three years ago and they’re allowed to use different spinners - at the end of the day it’s up to the spinner,” said Hauritz.

“Hopefully Xavier does well, if he’s doing well Australia’s doing well,” the bowler added. (ANI)