McGrath may not play SCG final - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

McGrath may not play SCG final

By Will Swanton 22/01/2003 08:07:03 PM Comments (0)

Glenn McGrath is in grave danger of missing Thursday's tri-series final against England at the SCG but Shane Warne is expected to make his international comeback from a dislocated shoulder.

McGrath's back injury remains a concern with the World Cup just around the corner and Australia's prime paceman is likely to be kept in cotton wool until the second final at the MCG on Saturday.

Coach John Buchanan and captain Ricky Ponting both indicated Warne would slip into the team's one-day pyjamas for the first time since sustaining his injury against the Poms on December 15.

"He's been telling us all that he feels good and he's bowling well so we're looking forward to having him back on the park as soon as we can," Ponting said.

Buchanan added: "I don't really have any personal doubts, I don't think Errol (team physio) has any personal doubts and I don't think Shane has any personal doubts."

West Australian paceman Brad Williams and New South Welshman Nathan Bracken were kept with the squad overnight, with left-armer Bracken favoured to get the nod if McGrath is ruled out for a third straight match.

With Warne back on deck, selectors must decide whether to play him alongside rapidly-improving chinaman bowler Brad Hogg, with Buchanan saying they were capable of complementing each other nicely.

Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has warned he's ready to explode after a recent barren run.

Gilchrist has scored only 38 runs in his past four one-day games, averaging a meagre 9.50 with a top score of 26.

That contrasts markedly with his reputation as one of the game's most devastating batsman, boasting a career average of 33.72 in 150 limited-overs internationals.

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