Ashes 2010: Bollinger still in limbo land over inclusion

ADELAIDE - New South Wales left-arm quick Doug Bollinger appears to be in a state of limbo as far as the ongoing Ashes series is concerned.

With the second Ashes Test set to begin here on Friday, and Bollinger seems to be getting mixed signals from team coach Nielsen.e was with the Australian squad in Brisbane last week before he was controversially omitted. He was packed off to Perth for a Sheffield Shield game, only to be pulled out of that match and sent to Adelaide ahead of the next Test against England from Friday.

His 7000km trip to get back to the Australian squad finished when he arrived in Adelaide at 10 p.m.

Bollinger and Ryan Harris are gunning for the positions of Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus in the Australian XI in a possible double change.

And Bolly was champing at the bit just before leaving Perth last night.

“I’m A-OK, I feel 100 per cent, I just feel ready to go. I’m ready to have another bowl [today] and train as hard as I can. I think everyone prepares as if they’re going to play,” he told Fox Sports.

Bollinger has done everything asked of him since his devastating dumping last week, bowling fast, aggressively and successfully.

But when Nielsen was asked if Bollinger could be excused of a little confusion, he gave an emphatic no. “He’s a professional cricketer,” Nielsen said. “That’s life.”

Bollinger has vowed to go out “all guns blazing” if given the nod to play.

Bollinger said he was buoyed by the likes of Ian Chappell calling for his inclusion: “If I’ve got the support of everyone, that’s fantastic and all I need to get my confidence up.” (ANI)