Warne could be recalled: Siddons

By Sur Correspondent

Dhaka

June 7: Stuart MacGill for long had played second fiddle to one of the best spinner the cricketing world has seen — Shane Warne. But with MacGill anouncing his retirement, there is a fear that the Australia may find it tough to find match-winning spinners.

Bangladesh’s Australian coach James Siddons, thinks that the mighty Aussies may have to prompt Shane Warne out of retirement. "There is a huge void mate, they might have to fall back on Warnie," said Siddons when this correspondent asked him about Australia’s spin bowling options.

Siddons was also not confident about the abilities of Beau Casson, who has got a call up to replace MacGill. "There are a few off-spinners, but no leggie who can be rated as a special talent. They might have to recall Warnie. Otherwise, they can make the attack more pace oriented," he said.

"There is a guy, Cullen Bailey who plays for South Australia. He is a promising young leg-spinner. But he did not have a very good last season. Without a quality spinner, I fear the balance might be lost," he added.

Cricket Australia has been reluctant to request Shane Warne to come out of the retirement despite the fact that the master has shown interest for one more fling in the next Ashes.

"You won’t get another Warne. But we have to ensure that our leg-spin legacy continues. In any case, Warne can be used to groom young spinners."

About the home tri-series, Siddons has set a goal for Bangladesh players. "Show the world that you belong to this level," he said. "In two years down the line I want to see half-a-dozen Bangladeshi players playing in the IPL. So, raise the bar and perform so that you cannot be ignored."