The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Hussey named skipper for NZ series

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Saturday, Feb 10, 2007
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Hussey named skipper for NZ series

Sydney: Mike Hussey will lead Australia for the Chappell-Hadlee one-day cricket series in New Zealand after a decision to rest skipper Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist ahead of next month's World Cup.

Selectors said they were acting on medical advice to rest Ponting, who has a sore back, and wicketkeeper-batsman Gilchrist from making the trip to New Zealand for the three limited-over matches. Hussey will captain the 13-man squad with batsman Michael Clarke as his deputy.

Voges included

Selectors have brought in young West Australian batsman Adam Voges and New South Wales wicketkeeper Brad Haddin as their replacements for the matches on February 16, 18 and 20.

"We have received medical advice that it would be prudent for Ricky Ponting to withdraw from competitive cricket in between the tri-series finals (against England) and the start of the ICC World Cup," Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said on Thursday.

"While his sore back does not prevent him from playing cricket at present, we are advised that for Ricky to arrive at the World Cup in the best possible physical shape, his workload should be managed through this period," he said.

"There is no question over Ricky's availability for the World Cup."

Gilchrist rested

Hilditch said Gilchrist should also have a rest before the World Cup in the West Indies starts on March 13.

"Adam Gilchrist has had a demanding summer and has performed brilliantly in both forms of the game," Hilditch said.

Healy under fire

Meanwhile, former Test star turned television commentator Ian Healy was forced to apologise on Friday for making an insensitive gesture as Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds spoke about breast cancer.

Healey, who earned 119 Test caps as Australian wicketkeeper, pretended he was playing a violin as Symonds explained in the commentary box that he was playing with a pink bat grip in order to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Channel Nine reported its switchboards around the country were swamped with calls from viewers outraged at the gesture.

Healy denied he was making light of breast cancer.

``I was winding Andrew Symonds up to talk about his pink grip, you know, we've got these massive big blokes using pink grips on their bat and that was the wind-up,'' Healy told Channel Nine. — Agencies

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