Defiant Ponting kicks off title defence without Mike Hussey and Hauritz

[Bradman99]

Isnt your team's chairman of selectors Mr. Greg Chappel :hehe:

Unfortunately :(

[Raghav_12]

Are the selectors crazy? To treat our best one day player (along with Watson) in this manner doesn't seem right. I can't agree with the decision' date=' if he is fit for the later stages, that is enough.. He is a match winner and this for me is yet another mistake, in a series of blunders the selectors have made over the past few years.. Joke..[/quote'] Indeed, format of tournament allows big team to go easy in priliminary round and Australia could easily have carried Hussey M as a passenger for first 3 weeks or so. If he was to get fit by the time QF arrives, then it was worth taking risk by taking Hussey in team. He and watson have been only shining lights for Australia for this whole summer.

[Ram]

Are they effin serious? Surely, they cant have dropped Michael Hussey for a 6 week long tournament because he was going to be unavailable for the first couple of matches. This guy is one of the most accomplished batsmen you can ever hope to have in your team and they let him go like this? Public memory is short, but surely, how could they have forgotten Michael Hussey’s innings in the T20 WC semi-final against Pakistan only 6 months ago? Besides, if they had seen Hussey play for CSK in the Champions league T20, they would have noticed that he looked in fine Limited overs cricket form. Not just that, he was one of the FEW Aussie batsmen who managed to look at least half decent in the Ashes. If Hussey says he is confident of being back by the 2nd, or at worst, the 3rd ODI, you take his word for it and weigh your options. Plus, everybody knows the actual cup begin only on March 23, when the Qtr. Finals get underway. That is still a good month and half away. For a while now, the Aussie selections have been completely baffling and they acted true to self by adding another feather to their cap.

[Zelig]

Callum is a good addition but he won't be the first choice. Most prolly, David will fill in for bro' Mike. Get well soon, Huss..CSK needs you come the IPL :nice:

[kabira]

Big Blow...real Big blow. Get Watson early and they will be in trouble.

[Sir_Afridi]

Saeed Ajmal would be doing :yay:

[Sir john]

hope david have a good showing in world cup. :kxip: :yayo:

[99.94]

I think that Hussey being out of the tournament is a big blow. Does anyone else think that it is a big blow?

[Cricketics]

I think that Hussey being out of the tournament is a big blow. Does anyone else think that it is a big blow?

Even though Watson will be the trump card for Aus, I dare say Hussey is your best bat. Yes, better than Punter also at this time. And him being not in the team is a big big big blow. Aus should have presisted wit him. The first round is going to last for about 25 days. And Hussey clearly would have had ample amount of time to get fit. I am not really sure how serious is punter's injury. Perhaps a little better than Hussey's plus he is the captain so can't be left out.

[criczero]

that means we'll miss his knock against Saeed Ajmal :-(

[Feed]

Defiant Ponting kicks off title defence without Mike Hussey and Hauritz More... Defiant Ponting kicks off title defence Greg Buckle February 11, 2011 .AAP Australia will play World Cup warm-up games against India on Sunday and South Africa on Tuesday, both in Bangalore, as they prepare to defend their title. The first Group A game is against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad on February 21. Captain Ricky Ponting admits he is still troubled by the broken little finger on his left hand which kept him out of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney in early January and the seven-match series of one-day games against England. Advertisement: Story continues below "I still feel a bit sore, but I think I'm going to be a bit sore for a while," the 36-year-old Ponting said at Sydney airport. "I was pretty much told that when I went in for surgery, that it was going to hang around for a little while. But it certainly hasn't hindered me in the nets in the last week." Australia's gamble of taking only one frontline spinner to the World Cup received the backing of India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who urged Ponting's men to stick to their strengths. Forgotten off-spinner Jason Krejza, who was dumped from the Test side two years ago and made his one-day international debut last weekend in Perth, has been rushed into the squad with injuries to Nathan Hauritz (shoulder) and Xavier Doherty (back). There are plenty of pace-bowling options including rejuvenated spearhead Brett Lee, strike bowler Shaun Tait, left-armers Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger and all-rounders Shane Watson and John Hastings. Middle-order batsmen David Hussey and Steve Smith are certain to be called upon to bowl some overs of spin during the tournament, which starts on February 19 and will be staged in what's expected to be spin-friendly conditions India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. "I feel as a team it's always better to back your strength rather than thinking too much about the conditions and trying to locate the bowlers who suit the conditions, who don't really have the talent," Dhoni told a press conference in Bangalore on Thursday. "Most of the teams will go with their best bowling lineups, whether it's fast bowlers or spinners." Former Australia pace bowler Geoff Lawson was less enthusiastic. "I don't think the selectors have done their homework on the pitches we're going to play on," the 46-Test paceman said. Former Pakistan coach Lawson said more spinners and medium-pacers would work better to keep runs tight on lower and slower pitches on the subcontinent.

[Akshat]

Today's warm up should be interesting as both SA and Australia are somewhat similar. Both have a rookie spinner, both have good openers, somewhat fragile middle order, good pace attack and power hitters. It should be fun. Wish Star cricket was telecasting this match live!