http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 dealt Doug Bollinger blow as pacer ruled out of remainder of World Cup
Defending champions Australia have been dealt a severe blow with their leading left-arm fast bowler Doug Bollinger being ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup after twisting his ankle.
The burly pacer did not feature in the opening two games for the Aussies which mean that he returns home without playing any match for his team as they bid to win the tournament for the fifth time.
No replacements have been announced yet but reports suggest that Cricket Australia is mulling on including either Peter Siddle or http://www.senore.com/Cricket/James-Pattinson-c1653. The Australians could also look to James Hopes as an all-round option. Another player
in the mix is left arm spinner Xavier Doherty who made his debut in the last Australian summer and was quite affective in the shorter format of the game.
Aussie captain Ricky Ponting stated that he was bitterly disappointed with the injury to the pacer who was a vital cog in the Kangaroos’ bowling armoury.
“Doug's a big loss for us,” Ponting said. “At his best he's as good a bowler as probably anyone taking part in this tournament, which is backed up by the fact he was in the one-day and Test teams of the year last year. He's a big loss
for us but I'm sure whoever comes in will do a good job if required.”
He was confident that the Aussies have great depth in their squad and hopefully Bollinger was not going to be sorely missed by them as they bid to cruise through to the quarter-final stage with wins over their opponents.
He feels that the big hitting all-rounder John Hastings who has the ability to bowl at a decent pace should also be ready to step up to the plate.
“He’ll be well suited to these conditions, we had a bit of a chat last night and I'll have a chat with the selectors and coach and see who the most adequate replacement is,” Ponting said.
The Aussies are set to play co-hosts http://www.senore.com/Cricket/March-c74391 5; the game would be a real test for Ponting and his men as they bid to push their unbeaten streak in the World Cup to 31 matches.
The Lankans are extremely formidable opponents at home and given the slow nature of the wickets, their potent spin attack is likely to give the Aussies a real run for their money at Colombo.
Meanwhile, Australia’s comprehensive wins in the first two matches have installed them as firm favourites for the title along with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 and Sri Lanka.
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